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!

Sometimes self-will leads us into deep waters before we come to see that we have been very far from listening for God's voice to guide us. Steps may need to be retraced, and work done over again; but if above all else we truly desire to progress, we shall profit by the lesson. If we learn obedience from our trying experiences, they will be the means of purifying us. We shall be more careful to be sure we are listening for the guiding voice of Truth before we make our moves.

Our textbooks, the Bible and Science and Health, are full of references to God's voice; so, it is to be seen as something to be reckoned with, and not just a figure of speech. A child who had left her doll out in the yard was told to go and get it before retiring; and when asked afterward if she had been afraid out in the dark, she answered: "I might have been, but something said to me, The day and the night are both alike to Thee; and I knew that God was right there." The trusting child-thought had heard Love's voice.

Mrs. Eddy says on page 308 of Science and Health, "The Soul-inspired patriarchs heard the voice of Truth, and talked with God as consciously as man talks with man." Is there any reason why this experience should not come to the faithful student of Christian Science? Is there any reason why one should not be as "Soul-inspired" as were the patriarchs of old?

As we acquire more and more of that Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," and listen less and less to the suggestions of evil, we shall consciously hear more clearly the guiding voice of God, yield to it more lovingly, and receive the greater blessing.

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