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What does God's voice sound like?
We often speak of being sensitive to the Spirit or listening to God—but do we know what His voice actually is like?
Someone who didn't was the prophet Samuel. When he was a boy, he worked in the house of the Lord under Eli. However, he didn't recognise God's voice when He spoke to him (1 Sam 3:1–10), instead thinking that it was Eli who was calling him. In fact, he didn't even figure it out after three tries, and Eli had to tell him explicitly!
This is a little bit concerning, because if Samuel didn't know that it was God, he may not have understood the significance of the calling that God was giving to him. In the same way, if we don't know what God's voice sounds like, we may not know how to respond in the moment that He calls out to us.
Clearly, it's important to know what God's voice sounds like. And in this regard, we have one advantage over Samuel: the Bible! The Bible is God's Word (2 Tim 3:16–17), and through it we can know what the truth is, what God's will is, and how we should respond to Him. God's voice doesn't have to be audible, and indeed the fact that it's inscribed into text means we always have a reference to look up, to ponder about, to wonder at, and to just enjoy. 1 Sam 3:1b says that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days"—what a privilege that it isn't rare for us any more!
And so every time we throw ourselves into reading the Word, or into prayer, or into worship, or spontaneity or authenticity or all that stuff, remember that it's to tune our spiritual ears ever so slightly towards the sound of God's voice, such that when He does speak, we will be able to hear it clearly, and know that it's undeniably the voice of our loving Father.
– alvin(:
Here are two articles that dig deeper into how we can learn to hear God's voice; they offer really useful practical tips as well as really important perspective shifts. Adam Wittenberg approaches this from the angle of knowing the Bible, while Andrew Wilson talks about distinguishing between God's voice and our own. Both of these articles also share various experiences, and I think they can be very helpful in teaching us to become familiar with God's voice.
This is another article about hearing God's voice, and I think this offers a very important perspective: that God speaking through the words of the Bible is just as wonderful and real an experience as God speaking through an audible voice. Not everyone will experience hearing the literal voice of God—but the beautiful thing is that everyone can access the biblical voice of God, and John Piper shares about the importance of inclining our ear to God's words in the Bible.
Adam Neely – Elemental Arranging
It's a double bill this week for this section, and here's the first video. Adam Neely is a musician (primarily a bassist) who also does a load of interesting explorations into music theory ideas and questions. In this video, he talks about the big-picture view of arrangement—specifically, how it can be composed of many components but retain an overall structure and direction. It is a little technical at some points, but it's definitely very interesting for anyone interested in how music is structured on a higher level.
Apartment Sessions feat. Gabriel Kahane – Empire Liquor Mart (9127 S. Figueroa St.)
Apartment Sessions does recordings in apartments, giving a really intimate and cozy sound. This particular piece is written by Gabriel Kahane and features an astounding 56 musicians(!!), and is simply 10 minutes of musical madness. The lyrics don't pale in comparison either—they are about an African-American girl who was shot and killed in a convenience store in a dispute over a bottle of orange juice. The song is gripping musically, lyrically, and visually, and is really worth multiple listens.
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Equippers Revolution – Senses
Equippers Revolution is the worship band from the youth ministry of Equippers Church, based in New Zealand, and I'm really enjoying their fresh and dynamic approach to electronic music, which covers a wide range of styles and moods. "Senses" is off their latest EP, CLRS, and is about the new life that we have in Jesus. It's got this lovely bright sound, and is coupled with a beautifully produced video that really displays their creativity as well.
Also by Equippers Revolution: Here With Me, Still
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Penny & Sparrow – Bread and Bleeding
Penny & Sparrow is a duo that sits somewhere between folk and acoustic in their style but are decidedly unconventional in their lyricism, which is loaded with metaphors and allusions. On the surface, their songs may seem like run-of-the-mill guitar-backed love songs, but they are really a different perspective on the relationship between man and God, expressed in terms of intimacy and affection. "Bread and Bleeding" is one of these songs, and it's a real look at how we struggle with loving God wholly, and instead try to pretend that everything is alright—this effect is also cleverly paralleled with the boisterous and brisk music that stands in contrast with the desperation in the lyrics.
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May we be the sheep who know the voice of our Master (John 10:4), so that we can obey and follow Him wherever He may lead us.
Over and out!
EUPHOR!A // ISSUE 19 // JAN–FEB 2018