The Unexpected Voice of God

We are surrounded by the voice of God. But we can easily miss it. Our lives are noisy; our pride gets in the way. But God, in his mercy, patiently opens our ears to hear him, sometimes through messengers we do not like, and sometimes through small blessings that might otherwise escape our notice.

God’s Voice in the Irritating Instrument

I genuinely like most people. Everyone is made in the image of God. Everyone deserves grace and love. There are a few people, however, I just don’t like. Thankfully, I could probably count them on one hand.

When I attended Bible college, I was a member of a traveling music group. One of the other members of the group was a young man who fell into that category of “people I really don’t like.” I’ll call this young man “Steve.” Steve was arrogant.

One of my responsibilities as a member of the group was to enforce the “rules” of our summer tour. Our rules were simple — things like, “Show up to the bus on time each morning,” “Be kind to the people in your host family,” and “Eat the food you are given.”

Steve broke most of the rules. Many times.

He and I both played trumpet, so we stood by each other every night during our concerts.

Oftentimes, members in our group would profess to hear a word from the Lord for people in the congregation, or even for each other, and would share these words of encouragement. Several times throughout the summer, I longed to hear a special word from the Lord. And several times, he sent a word for me… through Steve.

As you can imagine, I was quite unhappy with this arrangement. Of all people, God chose to speak through Steve.

I had a choice to make – ignore the message because I did not like the messenger, or receive God’s gift for me despite how he chose to send it.

Thankfully, I chose to accept the gift. I received the word of the Lord with gladness in my heart. However, in my pride, I marveled that God would use such an “unworthy vessel” to communicate his love. Today, I know that Steve was not the only unworthy vessel in this story. I look back at that season and give thanks to the Lord that he continues to use unworthy vessels for his work – unworthy vessels like me!

God’s Voice in Small, Beloved Things

One of my favorite things to do is walk on dirt or gravel paths. I revel in the soft, scuffling sound of my feet hitting the ground, scattering little rocks, kicking up dust. I love the earthy smell. It takes me back to every dirt road I have walked.

I remember crossing crocodile-infested rivers as I followed paths through the rain forests of Mexico to share the gospel. I recall the dusty roads in the mountains of a Middle Eastern nation where we prayed for revival and the coastal paths in Lebanon where we visited Roman ruins The mountain paths in the Bavarian Alps amazed me with the wonder of God’s creation, and the many trails all around the United States have blessed me with memories of hiking and camping with friends and family.

Each path was unique, yet all brought a kind of comforting familiarity as it brought to mind all the paths that came before. Each one led from my past to my future.

God gives me the privilege of enjoying the present — where I am right now, on the path God has given me to traverse. I thank him for where I’ve come from, and I beseech him to be with me where I am going. But for this moment, I thank him for where I am, for his presence around me right now. Each rock and each whiff of dusty earth reminds me of God’s faithfulness to keep me, guide me, and be with me. Through people I have disliked and through paths I have loved, God has taught me to hear his voice and rest in his presence.