Article September 29, 1928 Issue

Hearing God's Voice

MARION J. NAK

In Isaiah we read, "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it." God is always present to guide us, but sometimes we are so busy thinking about our problems that we fail to hear His loving voice. There is never a time that one need be without divine guidance, but failure to pay attention to the "still small voice" of Truth keeps us from recognizing that the way is being pointed out to us. How often two courses of procedure are before us—one that we want to follow, and the other that which our conscience tells us is the more honest, more helpful—more nearly the Christlike way!

The first thing necessary is really to desire to follow the Way-shower in our daily life; and if this desire is great enough, we shall be constantly listening for the guiding voice of divine Love. Stubborn self-will would like nothing better than to deafen us to God's guidance and cause us to go our unheeding way; but if in our hearts there is a deep-rooted, sincere desire to do right, to be divinely led, error cannot prevent us from seeing clearly the way we should take. Mrs. Eddy writes in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 454), "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way." If we are expecting this illumination of our way, this constant guidance, we shall recognize this help and act accordingly. If we are striving daily to put out of consciousness all pride, envy, self-seeking, self-pity,—in fact, all thoughts that center on self,—we shall be more alert to hear the voice of Truth.

On page 89 of Science and Health we read these words: "Spirit, God, is heard when the senses are silent." How can we silence the material senses? Is it not done by refushing to believe that sin and disease are real; by closing our consciousness to suggestions of fear, criticism, impurity, and the like? Is it not done by silencing all thoughts of personal power, self-righteousness, or merely human achievement? We are letting God's voice be heard when we are keeping error out of consciousness. This can be done, but it means work. It means constant vigilance in watching our thinking; but the result is worth the effort! Who has not rejoiced over some experience that has shown beyond a doubt that he has followed God's guidance? Sometimes, following in the way of Truth's leading means giving up our human opinion of what is the best way to go about doing a thing; but we can always be sure of this, that there is a great blessing in doing things God's way. What human joy can compare with the realization that we have been divinely guided and have followed that guidance? How near divine Love seems when we see that God has been guiding us all the way!

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