HOW CAN I KNOW IT'S GOD VOICE I HEAR AND NOT SOMETHING ELSE? (SAM. 3:19,20)


    THE BOOK OF 1 SAMUEL DESCRIBES HOW THE BOY SAMUEL CAME TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD. THE BIBLE RECORDS THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS RARE IN THOSE DAYS; SAMUEL, THEREFORE, HAD TO LEARN HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE VOICE OF GOD AND NOT GET IT MIXED UP WITH IDEAS THAT CONFLICTED WITH THE LORD'S TRUE CHARACTER.

   SAMUEL NOT ONLY LEARNED TO CLEARLY HEAR THE WORDS OF GOD, HE ALSO CAME TO SPEAK THEM WITH AUTHORITY. SO THE BIBLE SAYS OF HIM, '' THE LORD WAS WITH HIM AND LET NONE OF HIS WORD FALL TO THE GROUND. AND ALL ISRAEL FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA KNEW THAT SAMUEL HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AS A PROPHET OF THE LORD'' (1 SAM. 3:19,20).

    WE SOMETIMES LET OUR PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT GOD INFLUENCE WHAT WE THINK WE HEAR FROM HIM. IF, FOR INSTANCE, WE THINK OF GOD AS A WISE AND CARING COUNSELOR, WE WILL OPEN TO THE LOVE HE HAS FOR US IN THE MIDST OF CALAMITIES BROUGHT ON BY OUR OWN FOOLISHNESS. IF, HOWEVER, WE THINK OF GOD AS A VINDICTIVE JUDGE, WE WILL EXPECT TO HEAR THE WORDS OF CONDEMNATION AND HARSH PUNISHMENT WHEN WE ACT FOOLISHLY.

    OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD INFLUENCES HOW WE HEAR GOD. IF WE APPROACH GOD AS HIS  SAVED CHILDREN LIVING UNDER HIS GRACE, THEN WE COME WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT WILL SPEAK THE WORDS WE REALLY NEED- EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR. WHEN WE KNOW HIM AS AN INFINITELY LOVING GOD, THEN WE CAN BELIEVE EVERYTHING HE SAYS.

    THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURS IN ANY AREA WHERE OUR IDEAS OF GOD'S CHARACTER CONFLICT WITH SCRIPTURE. WE MAY THINK OF HIM AS A GENEROUS PROVIDER OR A STINGY ONE. WE MAY VIEW  HIM AS A FAITHFUL, TRUSTWORTHY GUIDE OR A FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND. TOO MANY CHRISTIANS FALL FOR  TWISTED CONCEPTIONS OF GOD THAT MISREPRESENT OUR GRATUITOUS, CONSISTENT, PATIENT, TRUSTWORTHY FATHER. WE HAVE ALL HEARD TOO MANY UMBILICAL IDEAS OFFERED AS IF THEY WERE GOSPEL TRUTH SUCH ERROR CAN LEAD US INTO HORRIBLE EMOTIONAL  AND SPIRITUAL BONDAGE.

   OUR VIEW OF GOD MUST REMAIN CORRECT AND BIBLICALLY  INFORMED. BY KNOWING HIM AS THE GOD OF LOVE (1 JOHN 4:8) WHO WANTS US TO APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE BOLDLY (HEB.4:16), WE WILL TRUST MORE COMPLETELY WHATEVER HE TELLS US. TAKE THE ADVICE OF 1 THESSALONIANS 5:21, AND TEST WHATEVER YOU HEAR AGAINST THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURES.