03 - Fine Tuning Your Spiritual Ears 2012

God can speak to us in various ways. As we seek to fine-tune our spiritual ears, it is important to understand from Scripture how God has spoken to His saints in the past. Let’s explore some of those ways. First, God speaks in:

A STILL SMALL VOICE

In 1 Kings 19 we find the great Prophet Elijah on the run from evil Queen Jezebel who had ordered his death after a mighty miracle in which he challenged the prophets of Baal to call upon their God while Elijah called upon his. As a result, God consumed Elijah's altar with fire, and Jezebel's false prophets of Baal were all put to death. Despite God's marvelous works, His mightiest prophet was frightened, depressed, and ultimately sought refuge in a cave.

While Elijah was in the cave, God began to literally fine tune his spiritual ears to hear His voice. Keep in mind that Elijah had been the Prophet of fire. His entire ministry was one of mighty, earth shaking miracles. He was the prophet of dynamic manifestations of God’s power. His ministry had climaxed in calling down fire before all of Israel.

1 Kings 18: 38-39 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

So Elijah’s had been the ministry of the fantastic, the dynamic and spectacular displays of God’s power. He was very used to powerful miracles following his bold faith. What happened to this great man as he hid quivering in a cave has always intrigued me. We’re told, “…the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (1 Kings 19:9-10).

Elijah was in the pit of depression. Convinced that he alone remained faithful to God, he felt isolated, fearing for his very life. God responds by taking his man through a series of thunderous displays of nature. Let’s read:

1 Kings 19:11-13 says, "Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it (the still small voice), that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. "

What does all this mean? There are many interpretations as to why God brought before his discouraged prophet the wind, earthquake, and fire, finally to speak to him in a still, small voice. My conviction is that Elijah had been so profoundly involved in dynamic ministry for so long that he had begun to confuse what God was doing with God Himself. That is, Elijah had begun fellowshipping with the miracles of God rather than the God of the miracles.

This is one of the dangers of ministry. I have watched very anointed people lose their close walk with the Lord by substituting His Person for His works, by fellowshipping with His miracles rather than with Him.

I have seen good people become so enamored with ministry that they focus more on God’s hand than His heart. They become slowly disconnected from a daily communion with the Lord by an inordinate focus on His work. As the old saying goes, you can become so busy with the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work.

I believe it is possible that Elijah was so used to associating God with the mighty manifestations of his ministry symbolized in the wind, earthquake and fire, that He had forgotten the gentle, still, small voice of fellowship. This is why Scripture makes a point after each of the powerful displays of nature, “But God was not in them.” With each sign, Elijah noted that God was not in it, meaning the sign was not literally God, it was only something God did.

God was saying to His man, “Elijah, though I cause these mighty signs, they are not me. Don’t confuse what I do with Who I am. You are not to fellowship with my works, you are to fellowship with me.” God was literally fine-tuning his spiritual ears.

Elijah became beautifully reconnected to God’s voice, hence to God. God was found in the still, small voice speaking quietly to his soul. When Elijah heard this voice, it is then and only then that he “wrapped his face in his mantle” (a sign of respect and honor), and walked to the mouth of the cave to receive a new assignment.

It is important for us as we learn to fine-tune our spiritual ears to God’s voice that we distinguish what He does with Who He is. That we discern between the noise and clamor of the world, and God’s still, quiet voice speaking to our soul.

God’s still, small voice has been likened to a leaf falling on a glassy pond. It strikes the water quietly and gently, sending little ripples across the pond. So it is with God’s voice. It falls gently on our soul, sending ripples of peace and assurance. It is not loud, boisterous, noisy, or clamorous. It is quiet, peaceful, and gentle, nudging us along. More times than not, God speaks in this whisper.

A VOICE IN YOUR EAR

Isaiah 30:21 says, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ Whenever you turn to the right hand, Or whenever you turn to the left.’” This seems to be talking about a literal audible voice like mine right now. Young Samuel experienced this when in the temple. God called His name out loud, “Samuel!” (1 Sam.3:6)

Saul heard an audible voice on the way to Damascus. “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one” (Acts 9:4-7).

While this can happen, it is rarest among the ways God speaks. I have walked with the Lord for over forty years and have never heard an audible voice. If it should happen, always hold it up against the Scriptures.

Another way God speaks is through:

CONVICTION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 16:8 says that when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement.”

Let's say you were about to say something really nasty to someone. You suddenly either feel a "pulling back" by the Holy Spirit to not say that nasty thing, or you sense the Lord tap you on the skull and say, "Son, that's not nice. Don't say that." That’s what is meant by the word, "to convict" which is also translated as "to reprove." We must be humble and accept God's reproof of our actions!

One key to sharpening your hearing ear is to immediately obey these initial promptings of the Holy Spirit. When He says, “Don’t say that, do that, go there, or dwell on that,” instant obedience will sharpen your spiritual sensitivity to God’s voice.

BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:14 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The child of God should regularly experience the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts is really the record of the Acts of the Holy Spirit as He moved upon and through the early disciples.

God leads His children by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. He speaks through His Word as we have seen; And through His still, small voice. And He can also speak through circumstances by opening a door of opportunity.

As Paul testified, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”—1 Cor. 16:9 Jesus told the church at Philadelphia, “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”—Rev.3:8

As God has led me, He has almost always confirmed His leading by speaking through circumstances that lined up with what He was saying; circumstances that confirmed His leading.

God can also lead through feelings and desires. I would caution here that all feelings and desires must be run through the sifter of God’s Word. But the fact remains that the Holy Spirit Who indwells us will often generate desires within us that motivate us to do His will.

“For it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”—Phil 2:13

Jesus was often moved with holy desire. The Bible says, “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.”—Matthew 20:34 When I pray, I am often moved with emotions of compassion and concern for those I’m praying for.

Many times I have experienced a compassion and care toward a person or people that God was calling me to minister to. When God called me to preach, I did not hear “a voice.” Rather, God birthed an increasingly strong desire within me to minister His Word.

Part of sharpening our hearing ear is learning to recognize the Holy Spirit using our emotions to direct us. When such a desire begins to spring up within, ask God, “What do you want me to do with the desire you’ve placed in my heart?”