Hearing the Voice of God
Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Kings 17:8-15
Introduction
Have you ever stood in a crowded room where everyone's talking at once? You know someone's calling your name, but you can't quite make out their voice through all the noise. That's what life feels like sometimes, doesn't it? We're surrounded by voices – social media, news, friends, our own worries and somewhere in that chaos, we're told God is speaking. But how do we actually hear Him?
Here's something that might surprise you: God has never stopped talking. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT). The question isn't whether God is speaking. The question is whether we're positioned to hear.
Today, we're going to look at two people who faced the same crisis – a terrible drought and famine. One heard God's voice clearly. The other almost missed it completely. Their stories from 1 Kings 17 teach us something crucial about what it takes to hear from heaven.
1. God's Voice Then and Now: From Prophets to the Son
In the old days, if you wanted to hear from God, you went to a prophet. Think about it:
? Moses on the mountain,
? Samuel in the temple,
? Isaiah in the throne room.
God picked specific people to be His messengers. It was like having one phone line for an entire town. You had to go to that one place to get the message.
But Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us something changed. God didn't just send another prophet. He sent His Son. Jesus didn't just bring a message from God, He was the message. As John 1:14 puts it, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
Now, through the Holy Spirit, we have direct access. Jesus promised in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." You don't need to find a prophet anymore. You don't need someone else to be your go-between. But here's the thing – having access doesn't mean we're automatically tuned in.
Think about your phone. You have access to anyone in the world you could call. But if your phone's on silent, or if you're in a dead zone, or if you simply don't pick up, that access doesn't help much, does it?
2. Elijah: A Man Who Stayed Connected
When we meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17, Israel is in trouble. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel have led the nation into idol worship. So Elijah shows up and announces there won't be any rain until he says so. That's a bold move. But then something interesting happens.
God tells Elijah, "Go hide by the Kerith Brook, and I'll send ravens to feed you" (1 Kings 17:3-4, paraphrased).
Ravens. Not eagles or doves: ravens, the scavenger birds that eat dead things. And Elijah just goes. No questions, no complaints. The ravens bring him bread and meat twice a day.
Then the brook dries up. Now, if I were Elijah, I might panic a little. But verse 8 simply says, "Then the word of the Lord came to him." God had the next step ready: "Go to Zarephath. I've instructed a widow there to feed you."
Zarephath means “refining place”. Zarephath wasn’t in Israel, but in the hometown of Jezebel, the center of Baal worship.
Notice something about Elijah? He wasn't just hearing God in the big moments, the dramatic confrontation with Ahab or later at Mount Carmel. He heard God in the daily stuff. Where to go, where to stay, what to do next. James 5:17 reminds us, "Elijah was a human being, even as we are." He wasn't superhuman. He just stayed tuned in.
How did he do it? Look at his life pattern. In 1 Kings 18:42, after the Mount Carmel showdown, we find him with his face between his knees, praying. In 1 Kings 19:11-12, God speaks to him in a gentle whisper. Elijah knew that hearing God's voice required getting quiet enough to listen.
3. The Widow: When Static Blocks the Signal
Now, the widow at Zarephath: she's a different story. When Elijah finds her, she's gathering sticks to make one last meal before she and her son starve to death. Elijah asks for water and bread, and her response reveals why she couldn't hear God's voice directly.
First, look at how she addresses God (1 Kings 17:12): "As surely as the LORD your God lives..." Did you catch that? "Your God," not "my God." She knew about God, but He wasn't her Lord.
It's like trying to tune into a radio station when you're not on the right frequency. You might catch bits and pieces, but you won't get the clear message. Psalm 66:18 warns, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." How can we expect to hear from Someone we won't acknowledge as Lord?
Second, she had already given up "My son and I will die," she says matter-of-factly. She wasn't looking for hope; she was planning a funeral. When you've already decided how your story ends, you stop listening for other possibilities. Jeremiah 29:11 says, God has plans to give us hope and a future, but if we've already written ourselves off, we won't hear those plans.
Third, notice her language "I... myself... my son and I..." Everything was about her immediate circle. No mention of neighbors, no thought of others who might be suffering. When we become completely self-focused, we lose the ability to hear God's bigger picture. Jesus said in Luke 9:24, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it."
In American Standard Version, we read this verse, She mentioned 6 times this, "I... myself... my son and I..." 1 Kings 17:12 ASV
And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
1 Kings 17:12 NLT
But she said, "I swear by the LORD your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die."
Fourth, she never asked God for help She had a problem: no food. She had a plan: one last meal and death. But between the problem and her solution, she never stopped to seek God. James 4:2 simply says, "You do not have because you do not ask God."
Here's what breaks my heart about her story: God had already designated her as Elijah's provision. Back in verse 9, God tells Elijah, "I have directed a widow there to supply you with food." God had already spoken to her situation, but she couldn't hear it because of all the static in her life.
4. What If Elijah Had Missed It Too?
Now here's a sobering thought: What if Elijah had been like the widow? What if he couldn't hear God's voice either?
Think about the domino effect. If Elijah doesn't hear God and go to Kerith Brook, he probably dies in the drought. If he doesn't go to Zarephath, the widow and her son definitely die. If the widow's son isn't raised from the dead later in the chapter, she never declares, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth" (1 Kings 17:24).
If Elijah isn't alive and obedient, there's no confrontation on Mount Carmel. No fire from heaven. No breaking of the drought. No turning of Israel back to God. Hundreds of thousands of people affected because one man could or couldn't hear God's voice.
But it goes deeper than that. When we can't hear God's voice, we don't just miss out on our own blessing – we miss being a blessing to others. The widow had been designated to help Elijah, but she almost missed it. How many times has God wanted to use us to answer someone else's prayer, but we couldn't hear the assignment?
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." If ambassadors can't hear from their home country, they can't represent it properly. If we can't hear from heaven, how can we represent heaven on earth?
Think about your own life. Maybe God's trying to use you to encourage someone who's about to give up. Maybe He wants to provide for someone through your generosity. Maybe someone needs to hear about Jesus, and you're the one positioned to tell them. But if you're not tuned in, those moments pass by unnoticed.
The early church understood this. In Acts 13:2, we read, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" They heard because they were listening. They were positioned to receive.
Conclusion
So here we are, back to that question: Do you really hear the voice of God?
The widow eventually did hear, not directly at first, but through Elijah's obedience. And when she obeyed what she heard, even though it seemed crazy (give away your last meal?), the miracle happened. Her jar of flour never ran empty. Her jug of oil never ran dry. Her son was raised from the dead. She moved from "your God" to "now I know."
What's creating static in your life today? Is it that you've been keeping God at arm's length, calling Him "their God" instead of "my Lord"? Have you given up hope and stopped listening for possibilities? Are you so focused on your own problems that you can't hear God's bigger purpose? Have you been trying to solve everything yourself without ever asking Him?
Here's the good news: God is still speaking. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
The voice that spoke creation into existence, that called Elijah to the brook, that sent him to a widow in Zarephath – that same voice is speaking today. Through His Word, through His Spirit, through His people, through circumstances. The question isn't whether He's speaking. The question is whether we're positioned to hear.
This week, try something. Set aside five minutes each morning: just five minutes, to be quiet before God. No requests, no agenda. Just say, "Lord, I'm listening." Open your Bible and read slowly, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it.
Because when God's people truly hear His voice, everything changes. Widows find hope. Ravens bring provision. Fire falls from heaven. The dead come back to life. And ordinary people like us become part of God's extraordinary story.
The God who spoke to Elijah wants to speak to you. Are you listening?
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Blessings,
Pastor JM Raja Lawrence
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
email: lawrencejmr@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 9933250072
