May 22, 2020
John 12
Have you ever heard the voice of God? One cannot open the Bible without encountering a very articulate God. I can personally testify that God is still speaking to those who have ears to hear. There is not a week that goes by where I do not hear his voice through the Word, through the whisper and guidance of the Holy Spirit, through the counsel of close friends; he even speaks through the circumstances of life. I testify that this personal guidance from God has significantly impacted the direction of my life.
This brings us to John 12. It is the Monday before Good Friday and Jesus can already see the shadow of the cross growing. This inevitable struggle with Satan and death must have been weighing heavily on his heart. He was in desperate need of encouragement. That is when he heard the voice.
"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there heard it, and said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine." John 12:28-30
Notice the different levels of hearing between three distinct groups; the crowd, the curious and the committed. Three messages were heard at this event.
1. The crowd heard thunder. They knew something out of the ordinary had happened but they couldn't pick up on the message.
2. The curious heard an angel. They knew it was a spiritual source but the voice was still muffled.
3. The committed heard the voice of the Father. It was God the Father who said, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."
The committed know the voice of the Father. Which leads to the question, when was the last time you heard the voice of God? If you have never heard God's voice, it isn't God who has the problem. By nature he is continuously articulate. The problem lies in us. To hear the voice of God, we must desperately seek it and we must quiet our hearts. God will not speak above the sounds of our culture. So this Memorial Day weekend take some time, read the Bible, and quietly sit before the Lord asking him to speak to you.
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