Whispers: Hearing God’s Voice (Part 4: How – Directly)

E.F. Hutton was a very well-respected stock brokerage firms. Today it’s best-know for its commercials in the 70s and 80s. An investor, attending a dinner party, would remark that E.F. Hutton was his stock broker. The room would suddenly become absolutely silent as people listened for some stock tips. The announcer then said, “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen.”

The commercial is a great metaphor for what Christians should do when God whispers. The tagline in the Christian version is, “When God speaks, His people listen.”

How does God whisper to us? What methods does He use to share a message with us? There are two basic categories – direct and indirect methods. This post will focus on His direct communication; the next post will examine His indirect methods.

First, God whispers directly to us through Scripture. In Nehemiah 8 the Israelites gathered to listen to Ezra read the entire Book of the Law. “They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month” (v. 14b). The Israelites hadn’t done this since the days of Joshua. “… So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters” (v. 16a). God whispered to His people through Scripture, and they promptly obeyed. God blessed them “… and their joy was very great (v. 18b).

Second, God whispers to us through thoughts. When I was a school principal, a teacher received some bad news. He had terminal cancer with only days to live. When I visited him in the hospital he said, “Steve, you’re such a religious man. Please pray for me.” We prayed and I left, but I couldn’t stop thinking about his words, “You’re such a religious man.” The thought came out of the blue, “Write him a letter and include a Bible tract.”

In my letter I explained that I wasn’t a “religious man.” Religion is based on a set of rules to go to heaven. Christianity is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Only through Him could my sins be forgiven. Only through Him would I know for sure that someday I’d be in heaven.

I sent him the letter along with the booklet, “How To Be Sure You Are a Christian.” He was crying when I called him the next day. He said, “Oh Steve, I never knew … I didn’t know.” He was with the chaplain who led him to Christ. He died the next day. I shudder to think what would’ve happened if I hadn’t obeyed the thought God gave me.

Finally, God whispers to us through dreams. Paul and his companions wanted to preach the gospel in what is today Turkey, but the Spirit wouldn’t allow them to. That night Paul had a dream of a Macedonian man begging him to “come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). The Bible says, “After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:10). Paul knew from experience that God sometimes whispered to him through his dreams.

God wants to whisper to you, too. As you read Scripture, listen for his voice. Notice the thoughts that pop into your head. It may be God whispering a message for you. Finally, don’t be surprised if you have a dream in the middle of the night. Consider the possibility that God is trying to tell you something.

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