Voice of God

This weekend I head home to preach about the voice of God. It is one of those unique things that we struggle with, wondering what God is like. My opening video is of Jimmy Fallon and Adam Levine singing songs in different artists voices. The uniqueness of their impersonations is how they change their voices, and their faces. They look and sound so similar to the artist they are impersonating that it makes it funny.  Their unique style breaks into this hard topic with some humor, and it brings to light a true reality. We honesty don’t know what either of these things are like with God – what He looks or sounds like. At different times I have had people comment on what they think God’s face looks like, and the answers are all over the board. The same is true of His voice. So, we are left with our own impressions to figure this out.

Often we may look to how other people hear God’s voice. Unfortunately, this is like when I question people about the face of God. People often declare to hear directly from God. Even Katy Perry shared that God told her, “You got this” as she was preparing for the Super Bowl. It can leave us puzzled about why we don’t hear from God if others do. So if our own impressions are unclear, and so are the impressions of others, than what do we do? We turn to scripture.

This is where we find the voice of God revealing himself in different ways. In the Old Testament we see God talking directly to people – Moses, Samuel, and so many others. Then in the New Testament Jesus comes, and people are looking at their God. Now they can see what He looks like and hear His voice. When the curtain in the temple was torn at Jesus’ death, we received a direct connection with God we call prayer. Yet, while prayer brings peace, we can still be unsettled with the lack of hearing His voice or seeing His image.

As we had Maddy’s funeral, I wrestled theologically wondering will I see her and know her in Heaven. I guess I could find peace in knowing that I may not recognize other loved ones I saw on this earth, but a daughter I never got to hug was a struggle. Once I even told Mindy that I feel like we won’t know each other in Heaven because in Matthew Jesus says we won’t be married. But the unrest of not knowing and hugging my daughter was unsettling. Then I talked to a pastor friend of mine and shared my struggle. He pointed me to this week’s lesson on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9). He helped me to see that Peter, James, and John recognized Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus on that mountain. He asked me, “How could they have known, Will? Were there pictures back then?” All of the sudden this rushing sense of peace of recognizing people in Heaven made more sense. Now, whether I will make the connection that Maddy is my daughter is a whole different topic for a different time. But for the time being I received peace.

I talk a lot about peace.  I write it in my emails.  If you catch it, I often say in the benediction, “…and give us His peace!” The peace of God is something that doesn’t make any sense, but it is something we feel. It is kind of like hearing a familiar voice or recognizing a loved one’s face. For Peter, James, and John that peace was so evident that they wanted to build tents and live on that mountain forever. It was unmistakable that God gave peace and that they were in it, experiencing it, surrounded by it. I connect God’s peace with the very nature of God, as He describes Himself as a servant, selfless, and loving. If our peace is resting in those very thoughts (that God is a servant, selfless and loving), and leaning on our prayer and trust in Jesus, then we know this is the very voice of God in our lives.