One of my earliest memories of hearing the voice of God was as a four-year-old frantically looking for my Lego policeman and his motorcycle.
“Mom!” I cried as I ran into her room. “Have you seen him?”
“Seen who?” she replied.
“My Lego policeman. Have you seen him?” I responded back after carefully scanning my bedroom and the rest of the house.
Aware of my frustration, mom offered the best advice she could: “Why don’t you pray and ask God to show you where he is?”
I paused and thought, “Will God actually speak to me? Does he even care about my Legos as much as I do?” So I prayed, “God, where is my Lego policeman and his motorcycle?”
Suddenly, I saw a picture in my mind of my Lego policeman and his motorcycle behind the couch–all alone and scared, waiting expectantly for me to rescue them. Initially, I thought it was my Jedi intuition kicking in, but then I realized God was speaking to me and giving me the answer to my prayer. I bolted to the couch and lo and behold—there was my Lego policeman and his motorcycle! Once again, everything was awesome!
So often, God is speaking to us more than we realize. Our responsibility is to become aware and recognize the way in which He is speaking to us. God speaks at various times and in a variety of ways. He is constantly trying to communicate with us because He loves us. Job shared:
For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. (Job 33:14 NKJV)
One of the ways I’ve learned to hear God’s voice is by discerning the way in which He speaks to me personally. I’ve noticed that God speaks differently to my dad than He does to me. My father hears God in a more authoritative tone while I hear Him more in a soft and kind tone. Also, God’s voice is a lot more optimistic and affirming than my own thoughts are toward myself.
God speaks to each of us the way we need to hear it. My father needs to hear God in a more firm and direct way while I am different. Therefore, God speaks to me the way I can receive it. This is because I am wired differently than my dad. Just as there are a variety of different personality types and each personality type has a best suited method of communication—likewise, each of us has a unique way of hearing God that is best suited for each of us personally.
God is speaking. He wants to lead you and guide you. He wants to provide the answers you’re needing. He even wants to speak into those areas that you may think are insignificant because He delights in every detail of our life—like locating a Lego policeman and his motorcycle!
Let’s be aware that God is communicating, and let’s discern and recognize the way in which He is speaking.
