Hearing His Voice
Listen to the song first. Then read ahead.
“The voice of truth tells me a different story.
The voice of truth says do not be afraid.
The voice of truth says this is for my glory.
Out of all the voices calling out to me,
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.”
Casting Crowns – “Voice of Truth”
How do we get to know the voice of Jesus? One of the best ways is through a Daily Quiet Time. My husband has been preaching on the priority of a Daily Quiet Time and he recently shared some spiritual “rules” created by Andrew Bonar, a minister of the Free Church of Scotland in the 19th century. These are the three rules:
- Don’t talk to anyone until you have talked to God
- Don’t do anything with your hands until you have gone on your knees
- Don’t read anything until you have read God’s Word
That seems fairly simple, right? Well, it’s not. Trust me. I tried to follow these three simple rules for one week and I failed. I’ll try again, and by God’s grace I’ll last at least a week. The rules fit in well with the discipline of a Daily Quiet Time (DQT). After I was saved at the age of 17, I went to college and became actively involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Through IVCF I learned what a DQT is, why it’s important, and how to have one. It is a discipline I have practiced with greater and lesser success throughout my Christian life.
Most of you reading this are probably familiar with the concept to set aside a time and place to meet with God every day. It’s beneficial to have a DQT in the morning–it starts the day off well. It’s helpful to find a dedicated place which is quiet where you can be undisturbed. I read that Susannah Wesley–mother to Charles and John Wesley, and eight other surviving children–put an apron over her head to signify to her children that she was meeting with God! However we can, the idea is to find a quiet place, a consistent time, and spend time with God in prayer and bible reading/study.
As we spend time with God daily, we come to know His voice. This is a crucial aspect of the Christian life. As the lyrics of “Voice of Truth” clearly state, there are a lot of voices calling out to us. We need to be able to discern the voice of God, so we can follow Him and do His will. Jesus said,
“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” John 10: 4 ESV
May we be dedicated to spending time with Jesus daily so we will know His voice. And as I attempt again to follow the three spiritual rules, I challenge you to join me! Let me know how you do!
Katie, this is so timely. I love the nuggets that you shared from your husband’s sermon and the song. Sometimes life gets overwhelming and I find my DQT to be a bit of a struggle. This really encouraged me today. I’m going to write down those three spiritual rules so that I can remember them.
Thanks, Bernadine! Yes, I really like those three rules too. They are so simple, yet so effective if only we could follow them. It’s so tempting to look at my phone or iPad, but I’m forcing myself to hold off until I have read the Word.
I’m glad my post was encouraging! Thanks for your encouraging word : )
I really like this song by Casting Crowns.
I purchased a new journaling Bible, it has only the Psalms in them. I read it in the morning now, before doing anything else. So far, so good. We will see if I can continue with that.
That sounds great, Iris. I want to get back to journaling as I do my devotions. That’s a really good practice, and then we can go back and remind ourselves how God spoke to us.