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We have been learning how to hear God’s voice, and as His people, we are working to keep listening for his voice that whispers to our hearts. While God speaks and leads us in many ways, we are trying to tune into hearing His “still small voice” which are often thoughts that spontaneously show up in our minds.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
In the Old Testament the short book of Habakkuk is an interchange between God and the prophet for which the book is named. It reads more like a prayer journal between one man and the God of the universe who answers the questions and complaints that are being voiced.
Habakkuk lived in the last years of the Southern Kingdom of Judah just before Babylon came and sacked Jerusalem and forced the Jewish people out of their land and into exile in Babylon. This book is in the form of a lament, where Habakkuk is grieving the sin of his own people and the wickedness of Babylon.
After telling God his concerns about all the injustice and wickedness of the nations, Habakkuk tells God that he is waiting to hear God’s response to his lament. Chapter 2 begins with the prophet’s plan to wait for God’s reply.
Habakkuk 2 (NIV)
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
Habakkuk declares that his posture will be one of standing still and waiting on God, all the while watching to see what God will show him. Ramparts are the top of the walls of a city. You would stand guard on the top of the wall and watch for messengers running toward you with good news, as well as keep watch for your enemies coming to attack you.
This verse says that Habakkuk is watching and looking for a picture from God and listening to what words he might hear from God.
In verse 2, God answers this way:
The Lord’s Answer
2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
God asks the prophet to get ready to write down what He says. This is similar to John when He has the vision of Revelation in heaven and also to Daniel. God instructs His people to write down important things, making sure to keep a written form of revelation from Him. This faithfulness is why we have our Bible today – because men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write (2 Peter 1:21).
God’s answer to Habakkuk reminds him that revelation is subject to divine timing that will not fail, and it may require us to patiently wait for its fulfillment.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.
It is so common to get anxious about God doing something He said He will do. It’s not always easy to wait for the fulfillment of a word from God. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not slow in keeping His promises – His timing is perfect!
At the end of this chapter, verse 20 gives us our marching orders in waiting for God’s answers:
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.
Now, under the New Covenant, 1 Cor. 6 tells us that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Our God is literally living inside us, and we must still our soul before Him and listen to what He has to say.
Writing Down Revelation
In Habakkuk 2, God is instructing him to write down the revelation, and we need to do the same thing. When we have received a word from God, some instruction, a strategy or an encouragement, it is so helpful to write it down.
Most of my friends have a love/hate relationship with journaling. I know some people who communicate with God by writing letters to him in their journal and then writing a letter back to themselves that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. In some ways, this is a bit like the book of Habakkuk, where you are pouring out your concerns to God and He is giving perspective and comfort about those things.
I have learned that when I really feel desperate to hear God’s voice, my journal is the most helpful tool to get the flow of revelation moving in my heart.
Ways that Journaling Helps you Hear God’s Voice
1. Helps you de-stress & detoxify (healthy venting)
2. Gets your thoughts out of your head, into words
3. Helps you to let go of the thoughts that distract you
4. Writing slows down your thoughts
5. Writing helps you to organize and prioritize your thoughts
6. Ending your “free write” with a question for God to answer
Help for You to Start Journaling
I’ve recently found the book Joyful Journey (Life Model Works) that outlines a method of journaling that is incredibly helpful. They call this way of interacting with God, “Immanuel Journaling.” It helps us understand more fully how God is with us during difficult moments. It teaches a three-step process of 1) interactive gratitude, 2) “thought rhyming with God” and 3) reading your journal aloud.
To order this book from Amazon, click here.
If you would like to try this process of "Immanuel Journaling" here is a link to a PDF file on our website that you can download and print to see how it works.
I use journaling when I want to hear God, but I must admit I don’t journal everyday like some people I know. This practice is not writing for anyone else to see or hear what you have written, it’s simply the words between you and God. It’s not about making something beautiful that you will take pictures of and post it to your Pinterest board. The best journal entries for me are “free write”/stream of consciousness type moments. Then when I read back through them, I make sure that what I have written from God’s heart lines up and matches what is in the Bible. I test it to make sure it’s not self-serving and that it bears the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It's so important to read your Bible regularly so that you know the character of God and the truth about Him. The more I read God’s Word, the more I recognize what His voice sounds like. God speaks to me in a kind, direct, compassionate, authoritative tone. Often He will bring one question in a phrase to my mind which will be all I need to receive the perspective I need.
I invite you to consider trying the “Immanuel Journaling” method to hear God’s voice. I believe it will help you hear Him more clearly.
We invite you to come worship with us at Neighborhood Church in Chico.
Our Sunday Morning Worship Service is at 10:00 a.m. in the Dome.
You can also live stream our service on Facebook and YouTube at 10:00 a.m.
As this series about hearing the still small voice of God is nearing its end, if you have missed any of the previous messages, we invite you to continue this journey of learning and awareness of what Jesus is saying and doing by accessing our various media platform links below.
You will find all our blogs, podcasts, and Sunday services and messages on our website ncchico.org that you can access at any time. Sunday messages are under the Media tab. Blogs and podcasts are listed under Pastor Andrew's Corner.
Need encouragement? Text the word Encourage to 530.296.3689 to receive an encouraging scripture or quote from me several times a week that is sent right to your phone.
