TRANSCRIPT
Hey Warrior...We often view the Bible as an instruction manual that we read and follow step by step. However, reducing God's voice to a reading list or a long-distance letter is not what He intended for our relationship with Him. God is relational, and He wants our hearts to be fully engaged in our communication with Him.
In Deuteronomy 6:6, we read, "You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today." Yes, God has given us commands, and we are to follow them, but we must remember that most of our relationship with Him goes much deeper than that. It isn't enough to merely follow instructions; we need to engage our hearts in our communication with Him.
Scripture is an entryway into a conversation with God, not the sum total of our communication with Him. We need to hear His instructions and follow His commands, but we also need to let our relationship with Him go much deeper. We must seek to hear His voice in our hearts, even beyond the words on the page.
We can receive God's guidance and encouragement for specific situations or seasons when we listen with an open spirit, ready to hear. Psalm 16:7 tells us that we can hear God's voice during the night, and Isaiah 30:21 says that we can hear a voice speaking into our ears. God's voice can come to us in many ways, and we must be open to receiving it.
It's also essential to remember that reading and knowing the Word thoroughly doesn't necessarily mean that we know God. Jesus himself tells the religious leaders in John 5:37-39 that, despite knowing the Scriptures, they had never heard God's voice. We must not let the Bible be reduced to a spiritual to-do list. Instead, we should let it launch us into God's presence and seek to hear His voice in our hearts.
In conclusion, let us commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God's commands and seek to hear His voice beyond the words on the page. Let us remember that our relationship with God is not simply following instructions but engaging our hearts in conversation with Him. May we listen with open spirits and seek His voice in every situation, knowing that our Father in heaven is always speaking to us.
Let's Pray. Lord, I understand that reading the Word and hearing Your voice is not the same thing. Please help me to hear Your voice in the Word and to use Scripture as the beginning of a conversation with You, rather than as the conversation itself. Amen!
