Rediscovering the Voice of God Adapted from Discovering the Good
Life by Tim Savage By Tim Savage In our world there are thousands
of weary souls and troubled hearts, people yearning for
satisfaction in life but finding mostly disappointment. But it
doesn't have to be that way. Jesus Christ promised life and
promised it in abundance. Moreover, he has done everything in his
matchless power to fulfill the promise. On the cross, Jesus purged
the power of what ruins life--sin. On the cross, he paid the
penalty of what ends life--death. In the resurrection, he opened
the door to a new way to be human--fullness of life. In the
combined work of the cross and the resurrection, he purified hearts
and fitted them to be vessels of his life. It is a life
overbrimming with love, power, truth, peace, goodness,
righteousness, comfort, and joy. Not all Christians know this
abundance of life, and perhaps many reading these words feel less
than completely full. The problem boils down to this: you are
probably unaware of your identity in Christ. You do not understand
who you are in Christ. Every day you receive a steady stream of
verbal input. Some of it begins in your imagination--as interior
dialogues of the mind--and some of it begins in the world--as the
external messages of society. Too often it is burdensome input,
focusing on life's problems and whispering negative messages such
as "You're going to fail," "You'll never be attractive," "You ought
to be more successful by now," "You'll never escape the past,"
"You're destined to be alone," "You'll never amount to anything,"
"Your goals are beyond reach," "You'll never find happiness." "You
lost your job," "You're divorced," "You filed for bankruptcy,"
"You're hopeless." "Shame on you!" "You're not good enough!" It is
vital to discern the voices. Those stoking discouragement, fear,
and guilt can be dismissed, because they do not fit the vocabulary
of God. They do not originate from him. To whom, then, do we owe
dispiriting messages? The apostle Paul tells us. "We do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph.
6:12). The voice of discouragement belongs to the voice of "this
present darkness," hence to the devil. And the goal of Satan is to
derail us, to slay us with negativity. He "prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). As
Christians, we must distinguish the voices. If they condemn us,
they are not from God. "There is . . . no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). For fullness of life, we must
attune ourselves to the promises of God. For instance, God promises
that "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5; see Josh.
1:5). We need not listen to the voice of loneliness, even when we
feel desolate and deserted. God promises that he will make us "more
than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). We must not
listen to the voice of insecurity, even amidst stinging failure.
God promises that "all things work together for good, for those who
are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). We must not
listen to the voice of despair, even when facing difficult trials.
God promises that we can "rejoice always" (1 Thess. 5:16; see Phil.
4:4). We need not listen to the voice of sorrow. God promises
"peace I leave with you" (John 14:27). We must not listen to the
voice of doubt, apprehension, and vulnerability. God promises that
he has already "seated us with him in the heavenly places" (Eph.
2:6). We need not listen to the voice of anxiety and the
possibility of future losses. God promises that he will "graciously
give us all things" (Rom. 8:32; see Matt. 6:33). We need not listen
to the voice of want. God promises that he "is for us" (Rom. 8:31).
We must not listen to the voice of detractors. God promises that he
"will supply every need of [ours] according to his riches in glory"
(Phil. 4:19). We need not listen to the voice of worry, even in
times of uncertainty. When life-sapping messages such as these
assault us--and they do with alarming frequency--we must consider
the source. They do not emanate from the life-imparting God. Hence
they can be discounted. We must measure the voices of the world
against the promises of God. It is sobering to admit that we often
spend vast segments of our lives--days, weeks, months, even
years--without seeking to hear the voice of God. It is time to
amend our ways. God speaks to us through his Son Jesus Christ in
the Bible. We must attune ourselves to the words of Christ,
listening to him daily, as through headphones inserted into our
ears, so that we are reminded continuously of the loving promises
of the heavenly Father. Remembering those promises is all we need
for life. Perhaps you are reading these words and feeling a gnawing
restlessness in your heart. You are still searching for more in
life. The good news is that there is more. It will be found not in
the things of this world -- not in science or nature or possessions
or money or religion or pleasure -- but in Jesus Christ, in
listening to the voice of Christ. Nothing else will satisfy your
heart. If you are reading this and desire these promises that God
gives to those who trust in him, call out to Jesus now by praying
something like this: Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ
is your Son, and that he died on the cross to save me from my sin.
I believe that he rose again to life, and that he invites me to
live forever with him in heaven as part of your family. Because of
what Jesus has done, I ask you to forgive me of my sin and give me
eternal life. Please lead me to a Bible-believing church where I
can grow in faith with others who love Jesus. Amen.
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