Voices

If you were to visit a psychiatric clinic, invariably you'd find some individuals who psychiatrists say hear "voices." They may have been diagnosed as schizophrenic or having multiple personality disorder (MPD) or whatever, but usually a pill is prescribed that supposedly will silence the "voices." A popular movie a few years back called "A Beautiful Mind" was centered around this phenomenon in the life of a brilliant mathematician and Nobel Prize winner. Even a few murderers have claimed to have heard "voices" before performing their life taking deeds.

Voices. If you have ears that function as God designed them, then you will hear voices. We all hear voices in some manner. Generally, those voices belong to human beings -- macaws and parrots being some physical / material exceptions.

But what about spiritual voices? Are there even spiritual voices? Jesus had some interesting encounters with demons. They are spiritual entities, and they spoke. They had a "voice." Mark 1:23-26 is just one example. When the evil spirit came out of the man in this passage, it cried out with a loud "voice" in verse 26.

In Mark 9:14-26 and Luke 8:26-39, Jesus encountered other individuals who were heavily influenced by demons. These spirits had "voices" and exercised great destructive influence over their victims. After their encounter with Jesus, these individuals were set free. The man in the Luke passage was even found to be once again in his "right mind" in verse 35 of Luke 8.

What happened? All of the individuals mentioned in the above passages heard the "voice" of truth. They had found the way and that way was life giving. The way, the truth and the life. That's what Jesus said with His "voice" in John 14:6.

So what "voices" are we as humans prone to hear?

* The Voice of Self -- This voice plays on our fleshly, selfish and sometimes lustful desires. It will profit nothing and promotes selfishness even moving it farther into the realm of pride.

* The Voice of Sight -- This may sound strange since we see with our eyes and speak with our mouths. But what we see "speaks" with its own "voice." And we listen, because we can hear it. This voice often nourishes fear and is meant to diminish one's faith. This "voice" also delights in speaking with the "voice" of self and the "voice" of the world. Some good reasons we are to "walk by faith and not by sight."

* The Voice of Religion -- This "voice" works with the "voice" of the self and the "voice" of the world. Why? Because it promotes doing instead of relating through what has already been done by the Creator for us. It can be found anywhere in the world. It is the voice of religion. Though Christianity is not another of the world's religions as many would like to think, this voice can even be heard in Christendom, for if one is not careful, being a Christian can become mere religious activity.

* The Voice of the Devil -- This "voice" overrules all of the previously mentioned "voices." Why? Because it is the voice behind those other voices. It promotes pride, self indulgence, self righteousness, religious charade, rules & ritual. He is the "god of this world" and the leader of fallen angels / demons. He is the "voice" behind the "voices" schizophrenics hear. And he has no trouble whispering quietly -- even to believers in Christ. What he desires is our worship, our obedience, our enslavement and our destruction.

His is the voice behind every temptation. The voice of every lie. And he thrives in the environment of decision making where he tends to increase his volume. He is very subtle and often cloaks his voice with truth. But there is one voice he cannot usurp... unless we let him. What is it or better whose is it?

* The Voice of Truth This voice is the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Almighty. And it is the voice of truth. You may be asking: "Does this voice exist?" "Can I hear this voice?" Listen to His words:

"My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27-28
"Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
This voice is available to all of us -- particularly while in the valley of decisions.

Maybe you are in the valley of decision right now. Do you hear Him? I believe every person on this earth has heard His voice at least once in their lifetime. The question is: "How will you respond?"

"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

Will you soften your heart and receive Him, or will you harden your heart and reject Him. Your eternal destiny may depend on how you respond to His voice when you hear it. He is speaking. And He speaks every day.