People in general are quick to give others their opinion and even advice. Some will attribute or blame God for what comes out of their mouths. So, how do we know when or if we hear the voice of God?
Our verse for today comes from a story of a messenger delivering a message from the King of Assyria. He claimed that the Assyrian king had heard directly from God.
What’s more, do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD’s direction? The LORD himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” Isaiah 36:10
The mighty Assyrian army had already conquered many other kingdoms. They claimed that none of their gods could stop them. Then they tried to scare all the people.
Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine. Isaiah 36:12
Hezekiah, king of Judah did not accept this messenger’s message as coming from the Lord. He wanted to hear the voice of God for himself.
Hezekiah Sought After God
So he sent word to the prophet Isaiah. He told him, that today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. In other words, he was saying, we’re having a bad day. He continued with;
But perhaps the Lord your God has heard the Assyrian chief of staff, sent by the king to defy the living God, and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!” Isaiah 37:4
The prophet quickly responded by sending the following message back to the king.
He began his reply with, say to your master, This is what the Lord says:
Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword. Isaiah 37:6-7
After King Hezekiah heard from Isaiah, he received another message from the Assyrian King. This letter contained a direct threat to God.
This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don’t let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. Isaiah 37:10-11
The King Needed to Hear God’s Voice
Hezekiah went to the temple and spread this letter out before the Lord. He began praying as he waited to hear the voice of God. And he did!
It came through the prophet Isaiah. God directed some of the words directly at Sennacherib, the king of Assyria by saying the following;
- Whom have you been defying and ridiculing?
- Against whom did you raise your voice?
- At whom did you look with such haughty eyes?
- It was the Holy One of Israel! Isaiah 37:23
Isaiah, while speaking the words of God, ended this message to the Assyrian king with these words;
And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came. Isaiah 37:29
As Isaiah continued to hear the voice of God, he told Hezekiah to hear these encouraging words.
- His armies will not enter Jerusalem.
- They will not even shoot an arrow at it.
- They will not march outside its gates with their shields
- Nor build banks of earth against its walls.
- The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came.
- He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord. Isaiah 37:33-34
Isaiah was a proven reliable source in delivering God’s word. King Hezekiah through him was able to hear the voice of God. Now, he only needed to trust God’s word.
How Do You Know When You Hear the Voice of God?
When the Lord speaks to you, chances are, you won’t hear it in an audible voice. The main way you will hear the voice of God is through His Word, the Bible.
Other times someone might consciously or unconsciously speak a prophetic word to you. If you aren’t sure it’s the voice of God, ask the Lord for confirmation.
Sometimes we find ourselves at a fork in life’s road and we don’t know which way to go.
Maybe neither way is wrong, but only one way is God’s way.
God’s Direction
Before my wife and I went full-time as children’s evangelists, we needed to make a major decision. To get the Lord’s direction, we made it a matter of prayer.
Then we brought it up in a conversation with a friend who we considered a godly person.
We knew we would hear the voice of God for the right decision through his response.
When you are in tune with the Lord, you know when you hear the voice of God. Sometimes you don’t like what you hear, but you still know it’s His voice.
Lord God, help us to hear your voice when you speak to us. Then Lord, no matter how desperate the situation looks, help us to trust you.
Check out these related posts on hearing the voice of God
- Do You Obey God The First Time He Speaks?
- Hearing The Voice Of God Is Important
- He Who Has Ears Let Him Hear.
To receive each new devotional post delivered to your inbox, subscribe below by giving us your first name and email address.