Know His Voice

Keeping Watch

When I first moved to Dallas and started driving 45 minutes each day to work, I would call Paul before I left work each day. Since we got the pups, I can't do that anymore. We started noticing that somehow they would know that it was me calling and would get all worked up and excited, waiting anxiously by the door hoping I would be home soon. We thought through lots of theories as to how they knew it was me calling versus someone else. Then we learned something very interesting about schnauzers- they are known for having exceptional hearing. Knowing this about them, it dawned on us: They can hear my voice through the phone with their super sonic hearing, and recognize it!

I talk to the dogs every day. I give them commands, give them affection, call their names, give them praise. They also hear me talk to Paul all the time at the house. They are very well acquainted with the sound of my voice. They also are very attached to me and wait expectantly each day for me to return from work. They know that each day I will call Paul and shortly after I will return home. Though its a very faint sound, they know it's coming and want to hear it, so they are listening for it each time Paul's phone rings.

Similarly, God speaks to us each day also, but not usually audibly. He speaks most often through His Word and through prayer to our hearts. This sort of listening is different than any other type we experience. It takes a lot of practice to develop the muscle of listening for God's voice. It's so important that we know God's voice well because there are a lot of other voices speaking lies to us every day, trying to distract us from God's voice. The voices of the enemy, our own sinful desires, the world's values and practices, bad advice from others- all of these voices are trying to distract us from hearing and believing the voice of God, the voice of Truth. If we know God's word well, when we hear a lie creep up in our hearts, we can easily say, "That doesn't sound like something God would say." If someone said to me, "Paul said that you are a terrible cook", I would easily be able to say, "That can't be true- he compliments me on my cooking every day and usually wants seconds. Also, he never speaks negatively about me to others, so surely this isn't true." In the same way, if I had a thought in my head of, "God doesn't care about you. If He did, He wouldn't let you suffer like this", I can say, "That can't be true- He does care about me because Jesus died in my place. Also, just because He is allowing me to be in pain doesn't mean He doesn't love me. Lots of times, those we love have to allow us to suffer so we can grow. God has been doing this in people's lives since the beginning of humanity."

My prayer is that I would long to hear the voice of God every day like my pups long to hear my voice on the other side of Paul's cell phone each day. I pray that as I read His Word, speak to Him daily, that His words, His character, and His truth would be burned into my mind so that when a lie creeps up, I won't allow it to linger in my mind and heart for even a moment.

Wrestling

Gimli loves to play! Of course he does, he's a dog right? All dogs love to play. Well, Gimli doesn't just play- he takes play time very seriously. He is not content to just run and fetch a ball or a frisbee. He wants to chase, be chased, play tug of war, wrestle, and he wants to do it all intensely. He expects intensity out of us playing with him also. He can tell when we are faking it, and that's just not going to cut it for Gimli's play time. Before we had Virginia, playing with Gimli was our one and only hobby from when we got home from work until bed time. He wants quality time with us, and for him that means all of us being fully engaged in play time.

One of his new favorite games is called "Attack mom's dust rag while she's trying to clean the house." He jumps and dives after the dust rag while I'm cleaning off our bed, end tables, TV- anything. He will throw himself fully into obtaining this rag, without any fear of endangering his life. I've tried just getting out the rag and giving it to him, but that's not what he wants. It's not about the rag- it's about the chase and playtime with me. He doesn't want me to just give him the prize- he wants to engage with me, spend time with me, bond with me, and eventually, beat me to the punch by stealing the rag.

I want to want knowledge about God with this kind of intensity. Most of the time, however, I'm content to just receive the "answer". I am often lazy about my relationship with God and not really pursue getting to know Him. I'm quick to take the word of a trusted pastor or leader about what the Bible says about gray areas rather than seek out the answer myself. I often don't want to put forth the time and energy required to feed myself spiritually, so I just let someone else spoon feed me.  How undesired and unloved this attitude must make God feel!

I can't say that I have a personal relationship with Britney Spears just because I watched her True Hollywood Story episode, or I've read lots of news articles about her. In the same way, just because I let another person who has studied Scripture and spent years following after God tell me who He is, that doesn't mean I know Him. I think learning from educated and Godly teachers is very important, but it can never replace that personal time wrestling with God through the Scriptures, asking Him about what something means, searching for that answer, thinking and meditating on what God has revealed to us about Himself through the Bible, and walking with Him through that whole process.  It's not just about the answer- it's about the process, the time spent with God, asking Him to reveal Himself to me and teach me through His Word. Sometimes there isn't even an answer, sometimes it's just questions and more questions. But that's okay because we are engaging with God through that process, and since the point of it all is to get to know Him, that's happening if we find the answer or not.

Gimli is not happy or content if he has not had good play time with us. He knows he needs this, and makes it his top priority of the day, along with eating and sleeping. I need to be reminded of how much I need that interaction with God every day. I amy praying that God would give me an insatiable desire to dig into His Word & into times of prayer out of a need to know Him more and more. I pray that I am not satisfied with a cheap answer or a half-hearted pursuit of truth.