Topic: THE VOICE OF GOD
Text: Isaiah 55:3; Psalm 29:3-9
INTRODUCTION: It is the desire of God that we hear His voice for by it we were designed to live. Matthew 4: 4 say clearly man must not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God” It is apparent that Satan having made Adam to listen to him, the first time around, thought he could try it with the second Adam who is Christ. Christ being creator of all things in His encounter with satan teaches us a lesson that if we listen to Satan’s voice, death will result. It is only God’s voice that gives life. This makes it very important and vital that we should seek at all costs to hear the voice of God. God already calls out to us in Isaiah 55:3.
1.The symbolism of the voice: The voice represents a device that is used to draw attention and when it is associated with God, is very powerful. It is the vehicle by which He makes known His will to man at any point in time. God’s will is that we live. “Incline your era, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David” The voice is deployed so that we can hear. But the problem is that many are not inclining their ear to what will make them live. We need to take it seriously. Our ears need to hear so that our Christian journey can be fruitful and profitable. It is the spoken word or the Rhema which is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. Adam did not discern it properly or understand it and so listened to satan , hence death resulted.
- The manifestation of the voice: The word of God is the logos which in our text is represented by many waters. When you read the word from Genesis from Revelation, it is as if one is in the open seas and oceans. It has endless possibilities and promises. It is as if one is in the vast wilderness whose many sands cannot be counted. Ecclesiastes says, “where the word of a king is there is power” (Eccl.8 :4). The Rhema word is accompanied with God’s power, so if you want to experience power of God, you need to incline your ear. It is deliberately and purposefully studying the word and listening fro what God would say to you. When you hear it, miracles happen. Our text describes it as like thunder that breaks cedars of Lebanon. The Lebanon cedar is mentioned several times in the Bible. Hebrew priests were ordered by Moses to use the bark of the Lebanon cedar in the treatment of leprosy. Solomon also procured cedar timber to build the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah used the Lebanon cedar, (together with “oaks of Bashan”, “all the high mountains” and “every high tower”) as examples of loftiness as a metaphor for the pride of the world and in Psalm 92:12 it says “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Whatever obstacles or high-standing thing in your way will be broken by the voice of God. As the thunder crashes and rolls and reverberates among the mountains, the mountains themselves shook, and were moved from their places. It manifests as fire and lightning sending terror into the inhabitants of the desert that even causes animals to give birth prematurely. It caused reverence and praise of God. Peter had seen enough of power manifested in Jesus’s ability to hear from God with miracles galore that he declared “Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life (Jn.6:68). When you listen to the voice in the world, you can easily get confused and misled as Adam who listened to satan. Jesus did not fall for this trick (Prov.13:20). We should as Habakkuk stand in watching for what God would say before we go on any adventure; “I will stand at my guard post And station myself on the tower; And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved”(Hab2:1). Jesus always went to pray to hear God’s voice and did whatever He saw the father do.
- The key to hearing the voice of God: It takes commitment to daily fellowship in the word, Listen less to people who do not hear from God, those who do not acknowledge God or understand His word. They do not have any advice to give or correction to make. Don’t be a companion of fools. Have a pure heart and pray until God opens your ears to hear. The instructions of God are vital to life and righteousness. PRAYER POINTS Grant me grace to incline my ears only to your voice and ability to discern it. As I continue in my Christian journey, deliver me from listening to false voices. Light my candle by the power of your voice and lighten the darkness of my life. Let the power of your voice break down all lofty opposition to your will in my life. Let the power of your voice instill fear and reverence in all the enemies/monitors of my life. Let the power of your voice repair and fortify all broken structures/void/shapeless surrounding my life. Let the power of your voice bring harvests of miracles signs and wonders in my life.