Knowing His voice

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. | John 10:27

This Sunday we looked at the story of God calling Samuel to be His prophet in 1 Samuel 3 (sermon is here). As God calls him, Samuel is confused by the voice he hears. He keeps responding to Eli, not recognizing who is speaking to him. The story even includes this detail:

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

How is it possible that this boy who slept in the house of the Lord and functioned as a junior priest did not know the Lord? This is one of those moments that we see the difference between knowing about God and knowing God. The chasm between having facts about a thing and actually being in a relationship. Samuel knew who God was, but did not recognize His voice. He had some knowledge of God, but the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

What this reveals to us is that we can easily fall into the same thing; where we have a conception of God that is based on quips and categories, but is never informed by the personal. The problem with this is that from a distance, God makes little sense. His wrath is harsh unless we understand it as a protection of good. His rules are restrictive until we experience grace. Even His grace seems unfair unless you receive it. Knowing God allows us to see Him, not only as He is described, but as He is.

The question then becomes: how do we develop this kind of knowledge? It only happens by practicing what you know about Him. Much of what we do as a church is an attempt to help you know about God and to give you the tools to know Him (equip the saints for the work of ministry). The reality is, THERE IS NO ONE ELSE WHO CAN MAKE YOU KNOW GOD; there isn’t a ritual or system that can do it either. This can only happen as you read His Word, go to Him in prayer, and allow your life to become dependent on Him; it only happens when we trust God enough to act on His Word. These first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel exist to show us that a person who thinks that they can find God and grow in faith without submitting to and building a relationship with Him will fail. We must learn to hear His voice and follow Him.

I will just end with the words to one of the songs we sang Sunday, A Prayer for Faith, which is a prayer for the continued knowing that is the Christian life. May we all pray something similar as we practice the means for knowing that God has given to us:

My heart is glad that you are my father
Adopted to you as sons and daughters

And your love endures
As you said it would, and my heart sings

Teach me the sound of your voice
With the faith to respond, to love you
Teach me to follow you close
With the faith you bestow, to love you

My heart is glad to serve you as king
Forgive the times that I am stubborn

With a humble heart
May I come to you, and my heart sings