Hearing God’s Voice and Knowing His Will

by Iris Taylor

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.  ^{1 Cor 2:16}

Recently, I recalled a difficulty which I had experienced during my early walk and I felt the need to share it for the sake of others who may be hampered by the same problem.  I remembered that years ago I had felt condemned when others that I met along the way, had expressed, quite often, that God had spoken to them.  They never actually said that they had heard His voice but that is what I assumed and the doubtful thoughts would commence.  “Obviously I am lacking;  what is wrong with me?  I should meditate more, pray more etc.  Maybe I don’t listen hard enough,”  on and on the thoughts would pester me. 

I certainly believe that God does speak in audible words as I have, twice before, clearly heard a voice which was not my own.  It happened during my early days of seeking Him and at times when I was desperate but it certainly has not been my usual experience.  I have since discussed this with a friend and she certainly hears another’s voice on occasions, giving her direct instructions and often in words that she would not use.  I have to confess that I very rarely have the clear verbal direction that others seem to hear of “God told me”.  That is not to say that He doesn’t speak to me.  He speaks in His Book, in another’s writings, in my spirit, in my heart, in another’s spoken word, in another’s pain, in another’s tears, in another’s joy, in a verse, in a movie, in a view of hillocks and hummocks, in a flower, in the stillness.  In other words if I am in Him - all is Him and all I hear is His voice.  Even when He allows the tempter to speak, when He says to him “Consider my servant, Iris,” it is His voice testing my faith and then He gives me the discernment to know that this is so. 

I am afraid that condemnation also came very easily when I heard others say that they were seeking God’s will.  I assumed that, when they did so, they received a clear answer.  I, however, always seemed to be doing what came next blindly, without any visual or verbal direction and, for this, I felt condemned.  I am not talking here about temptation, where one choice obviously leads to my forgetting Who I am.

I did not realize at the time that the holy sounding directions like “Seeking God’s will” and “Hearing God’s voice” were pulling me back into the law of the letter.

 I searched the concordance and I could not find anything that said that I was to “seek God’s will”.  The only expressions referring to God’s will which I found were  - by the will of God - according to God’s will - through God’s will - doing God’s will - doeth God’s will - all the will of God - is  God’s will - if the will of God - Thy will be done.  In fact, it seems as if I have nothing to do with it!

 The steps in my walk have always been taken by faith that I am, and I have, all that Christ is and that the step I am about to take is Christ in action.  I trust always that He is my keeper, that He is my stay, that He knows my going out and my coming in, that He will direct my paths and He will preserve me from all evil.      1 Pet. 1:5,   Ps. 18:18,   Ps. 121:5,   2 Sam. 22.19.   Prov. 3:6

If I am who He says I am, if I have all He says I have, then I just have to be a trusting soul, believing Him when He says that I have the mind of Christ. 

I know that of myself I do nothing.  In searching the Bible for a confirmation of what we should seek, I found that the only things which I was instructed to seek were the things above - the Kingdom of God . . . for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.  ^{Col 3:1 & 3}

Neither be ye of doubtful mind…  but rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.  ^{Luke 12:29-31} 

 I have done that and I believe that all, all, all has been added.  My belief is that every promise made is “Yea in Him”.  Yes!  Yes!  Yes, and I stand on His promises.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  ^{Eph 2:10 KJV}  

I am His workmanship, I am created in Christ, I am hid with Christ in God and not only has He ordained my good works but He has before ordained that I walk in them.  The Oxford Thesaurus synonyms for “ordained” are predestined or destined, if this is true, then what have I to do with any of it except to walk in faith that it is so?

I and my Father are One - in Him I live, move and have my being.  Therefore, if I cannot live outside Him, if I cannot move outside Him, if there is no part of my being that is outside Him, if I am one with Him, then I have His mind and His will is my will, even when the eyes of flesh see what appears to be very ungodly!

            The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  ^{John 14:10  & 12 KJV}  

                 Glory!  Glory!  Glory!  I believe in Him, and therefore, as He is, so am I and it is He who does the works - whether I know it or not.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  ALL THINGS!  ^{Rom 8:28}