Listen

One of the very first lessons God taught me as a young Christian was to listen to His voice.

In fact, one of the first words I distinctly heard in my spirit was simply this: Listen.

That one word has guided and shaped so much of my life. It taught me what to do, when to move, when to wait, and sometimes, when to be still.

Over the years, I trained my heart to discern good from evil by listening to the Spirit in me. I learned to recognize the way forward by listening to that quiet voice, and I reaped the benefits.

It became my own little life hack.

As long as I listened and let God’s Spirit lead me, I knew my path was sure. Not necessarily free from pain or disappointment, but sure that, somehow, even through the pain, God would work things out for good.

But as I grew older, life happened.

Responsibilities, distractions, expectations, and so many other voices competed for my attention. Some came from places of genuine love and concern. Others were not so well-intentioned.

Slowly, almost without realizing it, I began to rely more on the voices outside me than on God's voice within.

But God, in His loving way, always knows how to nudge us back gently.

Recently, as I read Isaiah 48, the very first word caught my attention.

“Listen.”

I felt a little jab in my spirit. It seemed like God was calling me back to something He had taught me years ago. A call to listen deeply again. To return to that quiet place where His Spirit had always guided me.

As I continued reading, I noticed how often the invitation to listen appeared throughout the chapter.

I knew God wanted me to see something, but I wondered why He kept emphasizing it.

Then I got to verse 6.

“Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.” — Isaiah 48:6 (NLT)

And suddenly, it made sense.

Of course!

Nobody tells a secret by shouting across a room.

That would be ridiculous. It wouldn’t even be a secret anymore because everyone else would hear it. What's the advantage of sharing something privately with someone if the whole room can hear?

When someone wants to tell you a secret, they draw you close. They lower their voice. They speak in a way that invites you to pay attention.

So if God wants to tell us something we haven't yet heard, we may need to be close enough to listen.

Then verse 16 seemed to confirm the thought:

“Come closer, and listen to this.” — Isaiah 48:16 (NLT)

Wow.

Come closer. And listen.

What a beautiful invitation.

God is speaking, inviting us into a place of closeness where we can hear Him more clearly.

Not just to receive instructions about what to do next, but to know Him. To hear the whispers of His love, mercy, wisdom, and grace.

This is an invitation into a relationship—the kind of closeness good friends share. Friends who confide in each other, share their hearts, speak about what has happened and what is yet to come.

And I thought, why would anyone not want that?

A friend who understands what I am feeling, even when I cannot find the words?

I need that.

A friend who hears me before I have even finished speaking. 

Sign me up!

Yet how often do we miss the beauty of that friendship because we are too busy listening to everything and everyone else?

We listen to opinions, expectations, advice, fears, news, and the endless noise around us. Some of those voices are helpful, and some are necessary. But none should become louder in our hearts than the voice of the One who knows us completely.

And perhaps that is what struck me most as I read Isaiah 48.

The invitation was not simply to listen.

It was to come closer.

Listening to God is not just about hearing what He has to say; it is about developing a relationship where we recognize His voice.

A relationship nurtured in quietness, prayer, meditation on His Word, and the everyday moments when we choose to turn our hearts toward Him.

In a world full of distractions, God still calls us to Himself.

To make room for Him.

To spend time in His presence.

To quiet the noise long enough to hear what He may be saying.

Perhaps He wants to teach us something. Something He wants to reveal. A direction, a correction, a word of encouragement, or simply a reminder that He is near.

I don’t want to become so accustomed to the noise around me that I lose the sensitivity to recognize His voice.

I want to listen again, as I learned all those years ago.

And perhaps you do too.

So today, I leave you with the same invitation that touched my heart as I read Isaiah 48:

Come closer. And listen.

He is speaking.

Will you listen?

Read: Isaiah 48:16-19(NLT)

“Come closer, and listen to this.
    From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”

And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
    have sent me with this message.
This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is good for you
    and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
    Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
    and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
    too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
    or for cutting off your family name.”