“For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says the Lord, that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.” Jeremiah 13:11
Many people think it is impossible to hear the voice of God! Here are some of the more popular responses:
“Why would almighty God take the time to speak to me?”
“This sounds like hogwash! God doesn’t talk to humans.”
A good religious response is “God has spoken. Read the Bible.”
Another religious comment, “Prophesy ended in the Old Testament.”
All of these comments have one thing in common! They are not true. God is alive and desires to speak to all believers.
In this example in the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet explains how God caused the Israelites to cling to Him. You can substitute the “body of Christ” for the word “Israel” to bring this into today’s lexicon. As a believer, you are a “set apart people”. You are special to God and should reflect the renown, praise, and glory of God. In other words, people see God at work in you.
The Israelites rejected the voice of God and His commandments. This angered God to the point that He allowed Israel to be plundered and scattered all the inhabitants across foreign nations. If you go on to read Jeremiah, God said He would fill the Israelites with drunkenness for their disobedience.
There are two lessons to be learned from this story. If you are a believer, God has given you the mind of Christ. He wants to speak to you and guide you through His Spirit that dwells within you. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and be your best friend. Your responsibility is to learn to be still and listen to the voice of God. He will place His thoughts in your mind. Pray for discernment to understand the difference between your own thoughts and the thoughts of God.
Secondly, the scenario in Jeremiah is now being played out in our world. God looks down today from heaven and sees that most nations have turned away from Him and people disregard the voice of God. As He did to Israel, He is planning to send His raging judgment upon the earth and the times ahead will be very difficult.
My intention is not to scare or intimidate you but to prepare you for the coming events of God. The most important step you can take is to become one with God through His Spirit and listen to His voice to guide you through your life and the perilous times ahead.
There is a richness to hearing the voice of God! It is the one thing you can trust in this world!
Hal Hollister Ministry 