Do you hear the precious Voice of the Lord? No sweeter voice exists! The precious voice of the Lord is loving, majestic, powerful, convicting, comforting, and reassuring! The voice of the Lord is Truth and encourages us in all of our problems! His voice set us on the path which leads us closer to wonderful Him!
A Famine for Hearing the Precious Voice of the Lord
For over four hundred years after the book of Malachi, there was a famine for hearing the precious voice of the Lord!!! This was predicted by Amos in chapter 8, verse 11: “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.” Can you imagine not hearing the precious Voice of the Lord in your life or the lives of your descendants for centuries? That sounds awful to me!
For three consecutive years in my life, I did not hear the precious voice of the Lord except one time. That made me very hungry to hear Him and to experience His loving Presence!!! The saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is definitely true! Even now, I often tear up when I hear the precious Voice of the Lord in my heart and mind and feel His sweet Presence! I hope in writing this blog to convey somehow the wonder and grandeur of the precious voice of the Lord. I hope this helps you hunger to hear His amazing Voice, too. 🙂
Jesus Is the Word of God
Jesus is the Word of God. John 1:1 (New American Standard Bible) says, “IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 10 in that same chapter says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” We can conclude from this verse that verse 1 is referring to Jesus. The next verse, verse 12, says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name….” In verse 14, we read, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth.” This verse definitely proves that Jesus is the Word of God. So, the precious voice of the Lord God is that of Jesus. It is also the voice of the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Precious Voice of the Lord Is Powerful!
Psalm 29:3-11 tells us about the precious voice of the Lord:
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. And He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve, And strips the forests bare, And in His temple everything says, “Glory!” The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.
So, the voice of the Lord is powerful, breaking down tall, strong cedar trees! He has power over nations and shakes the wilderness! His voice causes deer to have offspring and strips the forests bare! In His temple, everything cries, “Glory!” He is Lord of floods and sits as King forever. At the same time, we learn He will give strength to His people and bless His people with peace! This is a voice we can trust. This is a voice we want to stay close to and obey!
Wonderful Promises of Heeding the Precious Voice of the Lord
We learn in Revelation that we can have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit says and are enjoined to have one. Chapter 2, verse 7 records Jesus as saying, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'” Verse 11 adds, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'” (The second death we are told in Revelation 20:14 is the lake of fire, what Christians refer to as “hell”.) Revelation 2:17 records Jesus as further saying, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'” In verse 26 of that same chapter, we read the words of Jesus,
“And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Jesus continues in Revelation 3:5: “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” In verses 9-13, He continues:
“Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie–behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
In verses 18-22 in the same chapter, we read the promises of Jesus:
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Wow! Having an ear to hear God and obeying the precious Voice of the Lord has extraordinary benefits! Those obeying His lovely voice will have the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God! We can escape the lake of fire! We can eat the hidden manna for our hungry hearts! We will receive a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it! (Jesus will give us a unique name, which is a secret term of endearment known only to Him and you!) We will rule with Him! We will get the morning star, which Charlie and I believe is a close relationship with Jesus before He returns! We will be clothed in white garments! Our sinful deeds and lifestyles will be cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and we will become the righteousness of God in Him! (See 1 Corinthians 5:21-22.) Our name will not be erased from the book of life! Jesus will proudly confess our name before His Father and before His angels! He will make our enemies honor us and know that Jesus has loved us! We can avoid the tribulation! We will receive crowns of victory! We will be made pillars in the temple of Jesus’ God, the Heavenly Father; and we will never have to leave safety! Jesus will write on us the name of His God, and the name of the city of His God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from His God and His new name! We will become spiritually wealthy and delivered from shame! We will be given eyes to see in the spiritual realm! ***Best of all, we will get to dine, or commune, with Jesus Himself!!! We will get to sit down with Jesus on His heavenly throne! Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than this to follow the precious Voice of the Lord!!!
The Voice of the Lord Is Refreshing and Sweet!
Recently, I shared with you Song of Solomon 5:13: “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweetsmelling myrrh.” The precious Voice of the Lord Jesus is refreshing, as spices, and sweet like fragrant flowers! His lips are like lilies that drop sweet-smelling myrrh! So His voice is not only powerful and full of promises, but also ministering!
We Need God to Open Our Spiritual Ears to Hear the Precious Voice of the Lord
Not everyone has this “ear to hear what the Spirit is saying.” Jesus told us in Matthew 13:13-17,
“‘Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
We see from these verses that it is possible to hear the words of the Bible and not really get what He is saying! He is the One who can give us ears to hear His precious Voice. God must open your spirit’s ears to hear His lovely voice. Let us ask for the priceless gift of an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches through the Bible.
Can you hear His voice? If not, ask Him to open the ears of your heart to hear Him. You may hear words in your heart that agree with the Bible, or you may just feel inspired as you read the Bible. Either one is His Voice. As I pointed out in the recent blog “You Can Overcome in Spiritual Warfare”, God’s Voice will always agree with the Bible and give you a hand up. If the voice you are hearing is condemning and beating you down, it is not the precious Voice of the Lord. Reading the Bible a lot will help you distinguish the precious Voice of the Lord and give Him something to talk to you about!
Jesus Sheep Know His Precious Voice
John 10:1-5 tells us the words of Jesus,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
If you have given your heart and life to Jesus and you believe He was crucified and risen from the dead to take care of your sins, you are His sheep! You will learn to discern His loving Voice and will learn to tell when the devil speaks to you. The devil’s voice is the voice of a stranger. Do not follow the devil’s voice. Flee from him! Follow Your Shepherd who loves you so much that He gave up His life to save you!
God May Whisper to You
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah’s life was threatened by Jezebel; and he was at the end of his rope, ready for God to take away his life. In verse 11, we read,
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?…
God’s voice was not in the strong wind that tore the mountains and shattered the rocks. He was not in the earthquake or even in the fire. The precious Voice of the LORD was a still small voice, maybe even a whisper! God will speak tenderly to you, as well!
God Will Sing Over You!
The precious Voice of the Lord woos us to Himself! Zephaniah 3:17 (NASB) tells us, “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” The King James says, “…he will joy over thee with singing.” Imagine being serenaded by the King of Kings!!! This will happen for Israel; and if you heed the precious Voice of the Lord, He will sing over you, too!
The Precious Voice of the Lord Jesus Invites You to Spiritual Mountaintops!
The precious Voice of the Lord Jesus invites you to spiritual revelations of Him and adventures with Him! We read in Song of Solomon 4:8 the words of King Solomon, a type of our Lord Jesus, “Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.” As my husband, Charlie, said in our book, A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon, there is no better view than from the top. Charlie explains that because it is the place of lions and leopards, it is most likely a place where few people go. (See pages 156-157 in our commentary for more about this verse. The link is below.) Seek the precious Voice of the Lord to obtain spiritual revelations of Him and go on adventures with Him! He is the ultimate adventure!
We Will Hear the Precious Voice of the Lord Jesus at the Rapture of His Church!
As wonderful as hearing the precious Voice of the Lord is today, won’t it be incredibly wonderful to hear His shout when He comes back for His Church, the Body of Christ, at the rapture! We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18,
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Oh, to hear that shout from the Lord Jesus’ lips! This passage describes the rapture. Whether you like that term “rapture” or not, the truth of these verses remain. (–And anyone who convinces you that there isn’t going to be a rapture of the church is deceiving you.) I can’t wait to hear the precious Voice of the Lord Jesus in person!!! How about you?
We see a picture of the rapture in Song of Solomon 2:10-13:
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
I believe our beloved Jesus will speak these words to us when He returns for us and brings us into the ultimate spiritual springtime at the rapture! Oh, what a glorious day that will be, and I can’t wait!!!
The Precious Voice of the Lord Will Guide You
In closing, Isaiah 30:21 tells us, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Let us ask God for an ear to hear the precious Voice of the Lord. We will hear His Voice telling us the way in which to go, ways that lead us closer to Him and help us to avoid the dangerous pitfalls of sin and of the devil. Oh, Lord, speak to us!!!
What are you waiting on God to speak to you? How can I pray for you to hear the precious Voice of the Lord?
Here is Charlie’s and my commentary on the Song of Solomon:
A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry
God gave me a song called “The Song Of The Bridegroom (A Lullaby From Jesus)! You can hear it here by clicking song #3:
My Music – Bride Of Jesus Ministry
Twila Paris sings this lovely, touching song, “Sing Me a Lullaby”:
(127) Sing Me a Lullaby – YouTube
I love Tauren Well’s song about the precious Voice of the Lord:
Love this oldie but goodie song about the majesty of the precious Voice of the Lord by Maranatha Singers:
(127) Maranatha! Singers – Give Glory To The Lord (Psalm 29) – YouTube
Here is a touching challenge to listen to the precious Voice of the Lord from Michael Card:
(127) Michael Card – Will You Not Listen? (Lyric Video) – YouTube