The Voice of My Beloved

This summer, my husband and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage. When I’m having a bad day or worried about something, just hearing his voice calms me—helps me know I’m not alone. I can relax and know we’ll shoulder the burden together, pray about it, trust God. The voice of my earthly beloved—my husband—soothes my heart.

In July, I will have been a Christian 30 years. What an anniversary!

I remember, as a child, I had two “wishes” in my relationship with God:

One, I wanted to “feel” love for Him when I said, “I love you, Jesus.” I remember saying the words often (out of duty, I guess), but I couldn’t access any feeling when I said them for many years. God has answered that prayer.

And two, I wanted to hear Him speak to me.

When my husband and I were first married, we attended a Christian retreat where the leadership taught us how to listen for God’s voice. The teachers began by building our faith—telling us God wanted to speak to us. What a concept! Thinking back on it now, I wonder how we went so long as Christians without believing that. I knew God spoke through the Bible, but a personal, intimate dialogue with Him seemed impossible. A wish.

But as we broke from the group, having heard the teaching, we toted journals and pens to quiet places of solitude and just listened. And God spoke. What an amazing experience! I’ve never been the same. The God of the universe wants a personal relationship with me, and He will speak to me directly. (Of course, learning discernment has been a life-long process.)

How often do you take advantage of the awesome privilege it is to be able to speak to God and hear from Him directly? As I write this, I’m challenged. My schedule is hectic and though I try to keep God on my mind, in my thoughts, in my decisions, I’m so imperfect at this.

Still, the voice of my Beloved changed everything all those years ago. And He’s still changing my life today.

Next time, here on Net's Bridal Notes, I’ll share some keys to learning to hear His voice.