VOICES

I’ve been thinking a lot about VOICES over the last few days.  Now, I’m not necessarily talking about the VOICES of particular people, but more about what the various VOICES that we listen to are trying to tell us.  Take this morning for example.  I had decided to give myself a treat and make some pancakes for breakfast today.  As I measured out the specific amount that would keep me within my Weight Watchers point system, mixed the ingredients with water and then poured the thick liquid into the pan, I couldn’t help but laugh as I remembered one Saturday morning years ago, when Piper took over my weekend tradition of making the family flapjacks.

As was her way, she turned the whole event into a homeschool moment, teaching the kids exactly how to do it.  When she got to the point of flipping the pancake over, she made it quite obvious that she was also talking to me as she explained the right time to flip the cake so not as to over-cook it.  At the time back then, I found myself getting a little put-off, thinking that since I always cooked the pancakes, that I definitely knew more about it than her… but today… well today… it dawned on me that with the glint in her eye and the soft texture of her VOICE with which she had spoken… that she was really trying to tell me in a nice way… that I ALWAYS overcooked the pancakes!

So, while I heard her speaking in the kitchen that morning… my pride or pre-conceived ideas on the excellence of my cooking skills, blocked my ability to really hear what she was trying to gently VOICE to me!  But yet, it is kind of funny, that even though I didn’t understand her… I always… to this day… remember her demonstration and have tried to follow it whenever I cook pancakes!

Every day, each of us hear VOICES making suggestions, telling us to do things, encouraging us or even at times, criticizing the decisions we make.  Many times, these VOICES are not audible sounds, but thoughts, ideas, or a sense of peace or concern and/or caution.  When I did a word search on the word VOICES in the New Testament, the vast majority of the usage is found in the Book of Revelation.  As I read through the various verses, I got the definite picture that the atmosphere in heaven is charged with VOICES praising God!  One of my favorites is found in Revelation 19:1 where John wrote, “After this I heard what seemed to be the roar of a great multitude of voices, saying: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God!” (TPT)

In Revelation 5:11 he describes these VOICES as those of the “many angels around the throne, and the living beings, and the elders. And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and a thousand thousands.” (EMTV)  Most of the commentaries that I referenced say that “the elders” are representative of the church.

I’ve mentioned before, that Piper and I always tended to take the Word of God fairly literally, so when we read early on in our marriage, where Paul told young Pastor Timothy that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV), we grabbed onto that truth and NEVER looked back!

Piper was always very adamant and vocal when it came to her stand against FEAR.  If the VOICE of fear popped up in her head, she instantaneously rebuked it!  If someone shared or suggested something to her in fear… you could see the almost automatic change in her demeanor.  She didn’t get angry… but resolute in her stand against it… like the time in the early 90’s when her Mom suggested that she stop playing around “with this homeschool stuff” and get a job! 

OKAY… maybe that time she did get a bit upset!  But in a gentle and firm way she let it be known that this was her calling and her heart’s desire and would not be letting it go.  And you know… the suggestion or any question of it NEVER came up again!

When it came down to Piper’s care during her battle with Alzheimer’s, we had to stay alert and firm from the constant VOICES of fear that came our way.  It got to the point that we (or mainly me) quickly turned away from anything that was suggested to us with the VOICE of fear.  2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God HAS NOT given us THE spirit of fear.  In my book, that also means that since He hasn’t given it to us… then He would NEVER lead us with it either.

So how then will He lead us?  Well, that’s easy!  Through His POWER (or ABILITY), His LOVE and with SOUNDNESS of MIND.  God has actually made it pretty easy for us to differentiate between the right and wrong VOICES that we hear.  If what you hear is tainted with the stench of FEAR… than it is NOT His VOICE… it is NOT His leading!  His leadings always come with a sense of PEACE… remember that Paul described God’s PEACE by explaining how “God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers (you need) known to you through Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 4:7 TPT) 

The New Testament talks of the many different VOICES that we can hear on a daily basis.  VOICES of demons (Luke 17:13), VOICES of the crowd around us (John 12:34), VOICES of believers (Acts 4:24), VOICES of preachers (Romans 10:18), VOICES of the choir (Romans 15:6), and VOICES of every creature in heaven, earth and under the earth (Revelation 5:13).

But as with my example with Piper… the one individual that I knew far deeper than anyone else in the whole world and still missed it… don’t just listen to the VOICE and think that you got it… but be still and take the time to really hear what the VOICE is saying.  At times that means hearing beyond the actual words and more toward the inflection, the tone, the sense, the love and the leading of the Holy Ghost behind the words.

We may go a little further on this subject next week, but until then… Take some time this weekend to quiet down and really tune into the VOICES that you hear.  Proverbs 18:13 encourages us to “Listen before you speak, for to speak before you’ve heard the facts will bring humiliation.” (TPT) 

As with Piper and I, seek to not allow FEAR to have a VOICE in your life, but always make a place for the VOICE of God’s POWER (also translated: ability), His LOVE and His SOUNDNESS of MIND!”

Have a wonderful weekend, and as you do… Keep EXPECTING God’s Best in everything you hear, say and do!