Grace Notes // His Voice - Week 1

Written by Keli Miller

Mute Idols

“Our failure to hear his voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it. That we want it only when we think we need it.” -Dallas Willard

I don’t know about you, but I hear God’s voice best when I’m desperate for it. You know,  those “desert seasons” when it feels like there's absolutely no hope and nowhere else to look. Those are the times when I have experienced God’s voice and heard the most direct answers to my questions. 

Is this because God is distant and not listening unless I cry out? No, I think it’s more so that it’s only then when I stop searching for answers elsewhere. I’ve heard God speak in these seasons because these are the times when I have been listening. These are the seasons that I actually make room for the sound of his voice. 

God’s voice and God’s presence remind us of the same truth. They remind us that God is desperately in love with us and that God is near. When we hear God’s voice and wake up to his presence, we are reminded of just how much God loves us. So often I approach God as a “superhero” kind of God who flies in and saves the day after disaster strikes. But the deeper revelation of God’s heart is that He is Father God, always present, every day. He doesn’t wait for crisis to strike before he shows up and speaks. His nearness is always available to us. 

On Sunday we looked at the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Paul addresses their past and warns them from turning to “mute idols” for help. I’ve never had an actual idol in my home like those in Corinth, but I do look elsewhere for help. The “idols” I look to for help aren’t as obvious as statues or objects. Sometimes they are much sneakier than that. Sometimes it is my own effort, personality tests, podcasts from every church in the country, friendships, or even testimonies from others. I picture God looking down and asking, “When are we going to cut out the middleman?” When will you stop adding noise and just come directly to the source?” 

Friends- God’s voice is available to you today. His presence is with you wherever you are and he is asking for your presence in return. 

IN THE WORD

Psalm 46:10 

John 14: 24-27

Matthew 6:6 

PROCESSING QUESTIONS

Ask yourself these questions:

Do I believe God is with me and speaking to me? 

How has God spoken to me in the past? 

Are there “mute idols” in my own life that I look to for answers?