Hearing the Voice of God: The Word and the Spirit-Part 2
In our series on Hearing the Voice of God, a foundation was laid in the first article, The Foundation-Part 1, in which we saw that the first witness of God's voice is found in creation—the heavens and the earth. It is a silent one, "no speech, no words...Yet their voice goes out into all the earth." (Psalm 19:1,3 NIV)
We also learned that in order to begin hearing God's voice, we need to be born into his family. (John 3:3 NIV). This birth brings us into a personal relationship with the Father. From there we begin the natural process of spiritual growth.
Finally we saw that we must become intentional in our practice of hearing His voice. We open our spiritual ears and listen for Him in everyday life. We expect Him to speak, and in our expectation, He does speak.
In this article, we will begin looking at specific ways in which God speaks to His children.
The Scripture
The most frequent way the Lord speaks is through His Word. The Bible is His entire revelation. In the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek, two different words are translated into English as word: logos and rhema. There is a slight difference between their meanings.
The Logos
Logos refers to the entire written Word (the Bible as a whole) as well as to Jesus as the eternal Word of God. The disciple John, in referring to Jesus, writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 NIV) So reading the Word of God is like having Jesus speak to us.
The Bible teaches us God's will. His will is His voice. When the Scripture tells us to honor our parents or to love our neighbors, then we obey, because we have heard the voice of God.
It is essential to spend time reading the Bible because it is the primary way God communicates with us. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV) The logos is the objective voice of God.
The Rhema
Rhema has a slightly different meaning. Although it, too, is translated as "word," it differs from logos in that it is more subjective. The rhema is a verse, phrase, or even a story from the Bible that comes alive for us at a specific point in time. It speaks directly to our hearts, giving guidance or encouragement for that particular moment in our lives. When Peter said to Jesus, "At your rhema (word), I will let down the nets," (Luke 5:5 ESV) he was referring to a specific instruction for that moment rather than general knowledge of the law.
Examples of the Rhema at Work
It is as we are reading the Bible regularly that we begin to see the rhema popping out of the logos. How does this work? Here are two examples from my own life.
One evening as I was following my regular Bible-reading plan, I came upon John 14. Looking at the first verse, I noticed that the words "Let not your heart be troubled..." seemed a little larger on the page than the others. I did a double-take, chuckled, and continued reading. The next evening, as I was preparing to read the next chapter, my eyes were drawn again to John 14. The first six words still looked larger than the others. When this happened a second time, I started feeling a bit more sober. I felt like something deeper was going on, although I was not sure what.
The following day, things became a lot clearer. My father died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 49. I was shocked and heart-broken. In my grief, I heard these words, "Let not your heart be troubled." Comfort wrapped itself around me like a blanket. I knew that the Lord was telling me that He was aware that this shock was coming, and that what was happening was going to be all right. The Word had come to life for me personally.
God uses the rhema in all sorts of ways in our lives. Sometimes he gives us guidance for a particular situation. Once when I was asked to teach a Wednesday evening youth group at our church, I was reluctant to do so. I was already teaching both a young couples' class and children's church on Sunday mornings. Having a full-time job during the week and being heavily engaged on Sunday mornings, I did not feel that I had time to add another activity to my schedule. Nonetheless I took the matter to the Lord, asking Him for guidance.
Within the week, He answered. Again, it was during my regular Bible reading. I came across this verse, "In the morning sow your seed. And in the evening do not withhold your hand: For you do not know which will prosper. Either this or that, or whether both alike will be good." (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NKJV) Ordinarily this is a verse that I would read without paying a great deal of attention. But there was something unique that accompanied it. There was a deep resonance in the pit of my being, as though an internal gong had just sounded.
This verse came to life for me. I knew it was God's answer to my question. Sowing seed was how Jesus referred to the planting of the Word of God in the Parable of the Sower. (Luke 8:11 NIV) The reference to morning and evening referred to the two times that I would be teaching the Word. The Lord was guiding me to take the Wednesday evening class—to sow His Word morning and evening, and so I did. I had heard His voice.
It has probably become clear by now that if we are sincerely interested in hearing the voice of God, then it is essential that we spend regular time reading the Bible, since it is the primary way God communicates with us.
The Spirit
The Bible does not stand alone, however, as it speaks. It has a dynamic partnership with the Holy Spirit. The Word comes alive to us because the Spirit of God permeates it. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)
The Spirit of God is the breath of God. Otherwise, the words on the page of the Bible would be lifeless, much like Adam after he was formed of the dust of the ground. It was only when God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" that he became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7 NIV) So it is with Scripture. It would be lifeless without the Spirit of God. "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV)
When we are born into the family of God, the Spirit of God comes to live in our inner being. The Spirit works inside of us as our internal Guide, and the Scriptures work outside of us as our external Guide. They are inseparable, like two sides of a coin. Both of them work together to enable us to hear God's voice.
The Spirit and the Word are always in agreement with each other. The Holy Spirit will never tell us to do anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Instead, He reveals and confirms the truth of God's written Word. That is why it is important to always check our thoughts and actions according to the Word and the Spirit.
Conclusion
Like a natural father, our Heavenly Father delights in speaking to His children. He especially enjoys speaking to them through His Word. God Himself said, "My Word that goes out from My mouth: it will never return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11 NIV)
Hearing the voice of God is not limited to His speaking through His Word alone, although everything He says will certainly be in agreement with the Scripture. In the next article of our series, we will look at other, more subjective ways the Lord speaks—and how to discern that it is truly His voice.
For more from Julia, see her Substack, “Reflections on Knowing God” @juliakamleiter
