Knock Knock. Who's There?

Caller ID has eliminated one embarrassing event that occurred way too often to me. Remember when you used to get calls and you just hoped that the person calling you would identify themselves in the first couple of words? Did you ever think you were talking to one person only to realize a few sentences in that you were talking to someone else?

Cell phones have helped, too. I've called church members before and had who I thought was the adult parent answer the phone. Can I be blamed when a teenage boy's voice hadn't changed yet leading me to think I was talking to his mother? Men, do you know how demoralizing that is to a young man? I could have ruined him for life.

So, here's an issue that more men struggle with than ever realize. Do you recognize the voice of God when he communicates with you? Can you tell the difference between his voice and your own silent wishful thinking or another's impassioned voice in your head?

1 Kings 19:11-13

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind . After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
NIV

Having the Bible to study is invaluable for growing in our relationship with God. God spoke and under the direction of the Holy Spirit men wrote it down. Now, we discuss and sometimes argue over the interpretation and implication of these words. Still, the Bible has a lot of black and white.

What I mean is, we work hard to study and know what the Bible says and we can catagorize it in so many ways. By applying our God-given intellect we gain insight and discover nuances in meaning that have life-changing implications. However, this intellectual exercise has serious limitations.

Our relationship with God is not an intellectual exercise. It's no different than my relationship with my wife. Now, I have to be smart about how I relate to my wife, but the dynamic requires much more than my ability to catagorize and intellectualize loving her. And, you all know this is true.

The bible is a lot of black and white. But, God whispers in shades of gray. Certainly, he does not contradict anything in the writings. But the application to each of us is nuanced for our own unique situations.

Typically, we are very good at talking about the Bible and God. As men, stereotypically, we are not very good at letting God into our lives at a deep enough level that it brings fundamental change. We don't read instructions or ask for directions. We're problem solvers and no one can tell me how to solve my problems better than I can figure out on my own. Right?

So, can you recognize the voice of God when he whispers between the lines of the verses you're reading in your quiet time? Can you hear his voice when some long-winded preacher is droning on and your stomach is growling just about as loud? Do you hear his calming voice when our worship pastor is both rocking the house and later quietly unplugged? God speaks to everyone in the room and will speak to each one's unique circumstances. When your LIFE group shares applications from the night's study can you discern the difference between what God said to your friends versus what he said to you?

It's a leared skill. We can't read about it. We learn by trial and error and successful repetition.

So, can you recognize his voice after just a couple of words in your ear?