The Sound of His Voice

Jesus lived his life on earth wholly dependent on the heavenly Father. Our Savior did nothing and said nothing until he first consulted with his Father in glory. And he performed no miracles except those the Father instructed him to do. He declared, "As my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him" (John 8:28-29).

Christ makes it very clear: he was led daily by his Father. And his practice of total dependence, always listening to his Father's voice, was part of his daily walk. We see this in a scene from the Gospel of John. One sabbath day, Jesus was walking near the pool of Bethesda when he saw a crippled man lying on a mat. Christ turned to the man and commanded him to pick up his bed and walk. Immediately, the man was made whole. He walked away healed.

The Jewish leaders were enraged by this. In their minds, Jesus had broken the sabbath by healing the man. But Christ answered, "I only did what my Father told me to do." He explained, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work...The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth" (John 5:17-20).

Jesus stated very plainly, "My Father has taught me everything I'm supposed to do." You may wonder: when, exactly, did God the Father show Christ what to do" When did Jesus see God working miracles? When did the Father speak to him about everything he was to say and do?

Did it all happen in glory, before Christ became incarnate? Did the two sit down together before creation, and map out each day of Jesus' life? Did the Father tell his Son, "On the second sabbath of the sixth Jewish month, you'll be walking by the pool of Bethesda. You'll meet a crippled man there. Command that man to rise and walk."

If this were so, none of us could relate to it. Such an arrangement would have no relevance to our daily walk with the Lord. Yet, we know Jesus came to set a pattern for us to follow. After all, he came to earth to experience everything we do, feeling all our feelings, and being touched with our pain and infirmities. In turn, we're to live as he did, to walk as he walked.

The fact is, Jesus, in his flesh, had to rely on a daily inner working of the Father's voice. He had to be dependent on the Father at all times, in order to hear his voice directing him. Otherwise, Christ simply couldn't have done the things he did. Jesus had to hear his Father's voice hour by hour, miracle by miracle, one day at a time.

How was Jesus able to hear the still, small voice of his Father? The Bible shows us it happened through prayer. Again and again, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. He learned to hear the Father's voice while on his knees. And his Father was faithful to show him everything to do and say.

Picture Jesus facing a major decision, such as choosing his disciples. How did the Lord choose the twelve from the vast multitudes who followed him? It had to be a momentous decision. After all, these disciples would form the pillars of his New Testament church. Did his Father give him the twelve names while he was still in glory? If so, then why did Jesus spend an entire night in prayer before naming the twelve?

Luke tells us, "He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12). The next morning, Jesus called out the twelve. How did he know them? The Father had revealed them to him the night before.

Moreover, that same night, the Father gave his son the beatitudes, those sayings from the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor...blessed are all who weep...Woe to you if you judge..." (see Matthew 5-7). Jesus had received it all straight from the Father's heart.

It was in these hours alone with the Father that Christ heard his voice speak. Indeed, Jesus received every encouraging word, every prophetic warning, while in prayer. He petitioned the Father, worshipped him, and submitted to his will. And after every miracle, every teaching, every face-off with a Pharisee, Jesus hurried back to fellowship with his Father.

We see this kind of devotion in Matthew 14. Jesus had just received news of the death of John the Baptist. "When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart" (Matthew 14:13). (I wonder if he went to the same desert where John had spent years in meditation and preparation for ministry.)

Jesus was there alone, praying and grieving deeply over John's death. John had been a beloved friend, as well as a respected prophet of God. Now, as Christ fellowshipped with the Lord, he asked for and received grace. And, there in the desert, while shut in with his Father, Jesus received direction for the very next day.

Immediately after leaving that place, Christ began to perform miracles: "Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick" (14:14). That same day, Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 from five loaves and two fishes. Try to imagine what a busy, full, heavy day it was for him. Later that day, he sent the crowds away.

So, what did Jesus do at that point? You'd think he might seek rest or a quiet meal. Perhaps he would gather a few of his close disciples and recount the events of the day. Or, maybe he desired to go to Bethany, to be rejuvenated by the hospitality of Mary and Martha's family.

Jesus did none of these things. Scripture says, "He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone" (14:23). Once again, Jesus rushed back to the Father. He knew the only place to recuperate was in his Father's presence.

Now, Jesus was fully aware of the works he came to do on earth. They'd all been outlined in Scripture: he would heal the sick and afflicted, open the eyes of the blind, comfort the brokenhearted, open prison doors, set captives free, satisfy the hunger and thirst of multitudes. Yet, in his daily walk, Jesus didn't do any of these things without first submitting to the Father. Even though these works had been laid out before him, he always sought his Father's direction moment by moment.

Scripture tells us that on occasion Jesus healed "all who touched him." Yet, at other times, he didn't heal because of people's unbelief. How did Jesus know when to heal and when not to? He had to hear the still, small voice of his Father, giving him a word of direction. And he gloried in hearing his Father's voice.

The same is true of our calling. We know all the things Scripture requires of us: we're to love one another, pray without ceasing, go into all the world and make disciples, study to show ourselves approved, walk in righteousness, minister to the poor, sick, needy and imprisoned. Yet, we're also to do certain other things that aren't mentioned in Scripture. We face certain needs in our daily walk, whether through crises or other urgent situations. In such moments, we need our Father's voice to guide us, speaking to us things not outlined in his commandments. Simply put, we need to hear the same voice of the Father that Jesus heard while on earth.

We know Christ had this kind of exchange with his Father. He told his disciples, "All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15). He also told the religious leaders, "(I have) told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham" (8:40). What did Jesus mean by this last phrase? He was telling Israel's teachers, "I've given you truth directly from God's heart. Abraham couldn't do that."

Christ was saying, "You live in a dead theology. You study the past, honoring your father Abraham, learning rules and regulations for your life. But what I'm speaking to you isn't from some remote history. I've just been with the Father. He gave me what I'm preaching to you. He showed me what you needed to hear."

John the Baptist testified against these same religious leaders: "What he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony" (John 3:32). Today, Jesus is speaking to us the same message: "You're satisfied to listen to sermons taken from some reference book. But the Word I want to give you is fresh."

I've been asking the Lord if it's possible today, in this time of grace, to live as he did. Can we be totally dependent on the voice of the Father in glory? Is it possible to hear his direction for our lives day by day, moment by moment? Is there such a walk laid out for us, so we also can say, "I speak only what I hear from the Lord, and do only what I see him doing"?

I know the joy that comes from being shut in alone with Christ. It comes from worshipping him, ministering to him, waiting on him to reveal his heart. I call this Jesus' feeding time. I sit in his presence, listening for his still, small voice. And he speaks to me, teaching me, ministering to me by his Holy Spirit, showing me things I could never learn from a book or person. His truth comes to life in my spirit. And my heart leaps within me.

Of course, I haven't arrived. This kind of occasional experience still hasn't become a way of life for me. So, I've been asking the Lord, "Is the wholly-dependent life possible? Or is it just wishful thinking? Am I dreaming of something that's impossible to fulfill?"

I believe most of us live way beneath the privileges we have as children of God. For example, I read of Elijah standing before the Lord and hearing his voice. I read of Jeremiah standing in God's presence, hearing his counsel. He cries, "Who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word? Who hath marked his word, and heard it?" (Jeremiah 23:18). I read a similar cry from Isaiah: "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

Why wouldn't God speak in our generation, when there's so much fear and uncertainty? The world is in turmoil, searching for answers. Why would the Lord be silent now, when we need to hear his voice more than ever? Tragically, many ministers today preach lifeless sermons. Their messages neither convict of sin nor answer the deep cries of the heart. This is absolutely criminal. Empty philosophies spouted in a time of great hunger will only cause greater sorrow in hearers.

John the Baptist taught, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled" (John 3:29). The literal Greek meaning translates, "The friend of the bridegroom, who abides and continues with him." John the Baptist was telling his disciples, "I've heard the bridegroom's voice. And it has become my greatest joy. Its sound fulfills my soul. How was I able to hear his voice? By standing near him, listening to him speak his heart."

You may wonder: how did John learn the sound of Jesus' voice? As far as we know, the two only had one face-to-face encounter, at Christ's baptism. And that was a very brief exchange, consisting of only a few words.

John learned to hear the Lord's voice just as Jesus did: alone in the desert. This man had isolated himself in the wilderness from a very early age. He wouldn't allow himself any pleasures of this world, including tasty foods, a soft bed or even comfortable clothes. He had no teachers, no mentors, no books. During those years alone, John fellowshipped with the Lord. And all that time he was being taught by the Spirit to hear God's still, small voice. Yes, Christ spoke to John even before he came in the flesh.

John learned everything he knew by being in continual communion with the Lord. That's how he received the message of repentance, recognized the coming of the Lamb, perceived his own need to decrease while the Messiah increased. John learned all these things from the Lord. And the sound of God's voice was his joy.

We see this kind of life outlined in Scripture. I'm not just talking about the isolated life of a prophet. First, there's Jesus' example. His life was busy, often with every hour filled. But Christ's heart was set on seeking the Father daily. He gave God precious quality time, sitting at his feet, ministering to him, and listening to his voice. And he was taught and directed by his Father every day.

You may ask, "But what about the rest of us? Jesus was the literal Son of God, begotten of the Father. Nobody can possibly measure up to his example."

Consider Cornelius, the centurion. This man wasn't a preacher or lay minister. In fact, being a Gentile, he wasn't even numbered among God's people. Yet, Scripture says this soldier was "a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always" (Acts 10:2).

Here was one busy man. Cornelius had 100 soldiers under his immediate command. Yet he prayed in every spare moment. And one day, while in prayer, the Lord spoke to him. An angel appeared, calling Cornelius by name. The centurion recognized it as the voice of God. He answered, "What is it, Lord?" (10:4).

The Lord spoke directly to Cornelius, telling him to find the apostle Peter. He gave him detailed instructions, including names, an address, even the words to say. Meanwhile, Peter was praying on a housetop when "there came a voice to him" (10:13). Again, the Holy Spirit gave detailed instructions: "Peter, you're about to hear some men at the door. Go with them, for I've sent them" (see 10:19-20).

Peter followed the men to Cornelius' house for a truly divine appointment. What happened there shook the entire Jewish-Pentecostal church. The Lord opened the gospel to Gentiles. Yet, the hardest thing for the Jewish believers to accept was that God had spoken to a common, untrained Gentile. They couldn't understand how Cornelius had heard God's voice so clearly, and spoken with such power. It challenged every believer there.

Paul also received a revelation of Jesus directly from heaven. He testified that the things he was shown about Christ weren't taught by any man. Rather, he'd heard the voice of Jesus himself, while on his knees in prayer. "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). "It pleased God...to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" (1:15-16).

Now, there were great teachers in Paul's day, leaders who were mighty in God's Word, such as Apollos and Gamaliel. And there were the apostles, who had walked and talked with Jesus. But Paul knew a secondhand revelation of Christ wouldn't be good enough. He had to have an ever-increasing revelation of Jesus, from the Lord himself.

Of course, Paul wasn't against teachers. After all, he was one. He taught, "(God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). But Paul knew he was going out to face a godless Gentile world. And he needed a personal revelation of Jesus to sustain him. In fact, Paul said every believer needs to be taught of the Lord: "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus" (4:21).

There are scores of well-trained ministers today, highly respected men of advanced learning. They've spent years in seminary, studying theology, philosophy and ethics. And they've been taught by gifted teachers, esteemed men who are experts in their fields.

But when many of these trained ministers stand in the pulpit to preach, they speak only empty words. They can tell you many interesting things about the life and ministry of Christ. But what they say leaves your spirit cold. Why? They have no revelation of Jesus, no personal experience with him. Everything they know of Christ has been filtered through the minds of other men. Their insights are merely borrowed teachings.

Paul was really asking the Ephesians, "How did you learn Christ?" In other words: who taught you what you know of Jesus? Did it come from the many sermons you've heard or your Sunday school classes? If so, that's good. But is that the limit of what you know of Christ? It doesn't matter how powerfully your pastor may preach, or how anointed your teachers may be. You need more of Jesus than mere head knowledge.

Many believers are satisfied with what I call an initial, one-time revelation of Christ's saving power and grace. This is the only revelation of Jesus they've ever had. They testify, "Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior. He's the Lord, the Son of God." Every true believer experiences this wonderful, life-changing revelation. Yet that's only the first step. What lies ahead is a lifetime of deeper, more glorious revelations of Christ.

Paul knew this. He received an incredible revelation of Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was literally knocked off his horse, and a voice spoke to him from heaven. No person ever had a more personal revelation of Christ than this. Yet Paul knew this was only the beginning. From that moment on, he "determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Matthew provides a telling example of a one-time revelation of Christ. Jesus had just delivered a hard teaching to the multitudes, and many people turned away. So Jesus called his disciples together and asked, "Whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15-16).

Jesus declared, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (16:17). Christ was saying, "You didn't get this revelation just by walking with me, Peter. My Father revealed it to you from heaven." In short, Peter received the glorious, initial revelation that comes to everyone who believes. The glory of Christ's salvation was being revealed in him.

Yet next, we read, "Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ" (16:20). Why did Jesus say this? Hadn't heaven itself already announced he was the Lamb of God who'd come to save the world?

The fact is, the disciples weren't ready to testify of him as the Messiah. Their revelation of him was incomplete. They knew nothing of the cross, the way of suffering, the depths of their Master's sacrifice. Yes, they'd already healed the sick, cast out devils and witnessed to many. But even though they'd been with Jesus for those years, they still had no deep, personal revelation of who he was.

The next verse confirms this: "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples..." (16:21). In other words, Christ began to reveal himself to them, showing them deeper things about himself. The rest of the verse continues, "...how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (16:21)

Have you been taught by Jesus in your secret closet of prayer? Have you sought him for things you can't get from books or teachers? Have you sat quietly in his presence, waiting to hear his voice? The Bible says all truth is in Christ. And he alone can impart it to you, through his blessed Holy Spirit.

A question may now arise in your mind: "Isn't it dangerous to open my mind to a still, small voice? Isn't that why so many Christians get into trouble? The enemy comes in and mimics God's voice, telling them to do or believe some ridiculous thing. And they end up deceived. Isn't the Bible the only voice we're supposed to heed? And isn't the Holy Spirit to be our only teacher?"

Here is what I believe on this matter:

1. Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is a distinct, living, powerful, intelligent, divine person in himself. He's not a person of flesh, but of spirit, a personality in his own right. And he rules the church. He brings divine order, comforts the hurting, strengthens the weak, and teaches us the riches of Christ.
2. Scripture calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Son: "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts" (Galatians 4:6). He's also known as the Spirit of Christ: "What manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them" (1 Peter 1:11). "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9). It's clear the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are one and the same. Christ is God, and the same Spirit emanates from both. The Holy Spirit is the essence of both Father and Son, and is sent by both.
3. There's a way we can be protected from deception during deep, searching prayer. Our protection is in waiting. The voice of the flesh is always in a hurry. It wants instant gratification, so it has no patience. It's always focused on self rather than the Lord, always seeking to rush us out of God's presence.

Now, the voice of the enemy is patient, but only to a point. It can be soft, sweet, assuring and logical. But if we test it by simply waiting - that is, not acting on it right away, testing it to see if it's the Lord's voice - it will grow impatient and expose itself. It will suddenly become ugly and demanding, railing at us and condemning us. Then we can know it's not the voice of God.

This is why the Bible says again and again, "Wait on the Lord...wait on him...wait." It's during our waiting that these other voices are exposed, or grow weary and leave. We're to wait, wait, wait, so both heaven and hell know we won't give up until the Lord takes over.

We see this demonstrated in Jeremiah 42. A remnant of God's people came to Jeremiah seeking a word of direction from the Lord. So the prophet went to prayer. Then, "It came to pass after ten days, that the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 42:7). On the tenth day, God finally spoke to Jeremiah. The prophet had waited patiently until he knew he was hearing God's voice.

We're also protected in another way: we're to measure everything we hear by the Bible. And we're not to accept anything if it doesn't conform to God's Word.

So, yes, dear saint, such a walk is possible. It is to become our holy obsession.