Hearing God’s Voice

This season of life can be a desert of disorienting doubts, discouragement , and suffering of our souls.

Where do you turn for direction, understanding and wisdom when confusion clouds your path? Invariably we ask, “how long will this last?” The good news is that there is a God of love who never breaks his promises & is willing to give direction to our lives. Today I have been contemplating what I have learned & things I am still learning about hearing God‘s voice. My faith journey has been a bit complicated by the confusion created by what I call “churchianity”. I think a lot of people experience this confusion and disconnect caused by organised religion and by forms of tradition that have lost their meaning. I have found that it is only by going directly to the source that you can find true meaning, real relationship and a solid connection that will ground you in God‘s love. In the past, I always felt closer to God out in the woods or in the wilderness than I ever did in a church building. It was there that I saw the awesome wonder of creation and felt drawn to know my Creator. Nature can nurture faith if you allow it. The question really comes down to whether you will allow God to speak to your heart. Where are you at today? Have you closed yourself off so completely you that no longer hear God‘s voice whispering to you about his unconditional love? Has your heart become hard because of hurt, loss, disappointment or betrayal that you have blamed on a God that you say you don’t even believe in ? Stop to consider this. God wants to surround you with his comfort and care and He speaks in whispers to those who open their hearts & are listening intently. All you have to do is ask with humility to be able to hear. It is recorded many times that Jesus said “for him who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Here are a few things that I have learned so far in my spiritual journey.

1. God has a plan for your life.

2. God is willing to guide us in the plan that he has for our lives.

3. God speak speaks to us in many different ways if we are truly and humbly listening. Primarily He speaks through his Word. It’s amazing how many times you can open the Bible just after praying and find the very answers that you’re looking for.

4. It is faith that pleases God and without faith, no one can please him. It is not the keeping of rules and regulations that God is looking for or wanting in our lives. He wants a personal, intimate relationship built on faith in His unmerited favor, unconditional love and His finished work on the cross that God desires with us .

5. God answers prayer and knows when our hearts are humble and sincere in turning to him in the hope of finding help.

6. It is when we align ourselves with God‘s plan and purpose that we find peace, protection, provision, comfort, consolation, joy & direction.

7. God’s desire is that we change our mind and agree with him.

8. Seek and you will find, knock & the door will be opened to you, ask and it shall be given to you.

9. Selfishly seeking our own comfort and pleasure does not align us with God.

10. If you want God‘s plan, promises, strength, & support, He is just waiting to hear from you.

May the kindness and compassion of God surround you today as you dare to hope for better things in these turbulent times of conflict and uncertainty. There is a voice that is calling gently inviting you to believe in a love so pure, so kind, so compassionate and so faithful that He pursues you like one who has fallen deeply in love. “ The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is his faithfulness.” Great is His kindness to those who dare to believe. If you open your heart and invite Jesus into your life you will find it is the greatest relationship you will ever have and the greatest adventure of a lifetime! The first step in your journey is to invest your hope, trust and Faith in Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

About Gregg Townsley

Gregg Townsley moved to the Algarve from Hawaii one year ago where he had a veterinary practice and a TV show teaching on the Covid pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Bible eschatology and the conflict in the Middle East . He has been active in Church work & graduate level theology classes since 1991 and served as an interim pastor for three years. He is currently working with Agape Homeless, a local nonprofit sharing good news and food with those in need in Portimao. He has a bachelors degree in science and a doctorate in veterinary medicine .