Isaiah 30:21
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Many times we want to hear God, but do we listen?  When we hear Him, do we obey?

One thing I have noticed in this verse is the word “behind”.  This indicates that he was already walking when he heard God’s voice.  And that is one of the requirements to hearing God.  If we are not walking in what we KNOW He wants us to do, He will not show us the next step.  WE need to be already walking and on the right path if we want God to further guide us.

Once we are on the right path and following Him, are we prepared to listen?  Do we have a heart that is open to ready to hear what He wants to hear?  Psalm 46:10a says: “Be still, and know that I am God…”  To be still, is to be quiet.  Am I being still and listening for His voice? Am I waiting for His instruction?  He WILL speak to us, He WANTS to speak to us, but He will not force us to listen.  He will speak to us in a still small voice; therefore, we must be attentive and sensitive to His call.

So say you have it down.  You are walking with the Lord, you are doing what He wants, and you hear His voice.  He has given you the next instruction.  Well, are you going to do something about it?  It is possible to listen, but not obey (James 1:22-25).  As a Bible college student, I can prepare, but all the instruction and classes taken does not automatically mean that I will do what God asks of me.  Just being sensitive to the will of God will not do anything if I do not respond.  What good is it to have a challenge, but no change?

Hearing requires a response, but this response all depends on the condition of our hearts.  A cold-hearted Christian is unemotional towards the things of God.  It does not affect them.  The lukewarm Christian is indifferent.  He hears, feels convicted, but there is no change.  Revelation 3:15-16 says: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  God does not want a half-hearted, lukewarm Christian.  He wants a hot-hearted Christian!  He wants us to be on fire for God, excited, willing and ready to serve.

The hot-hearted Christian reminds me of a teapot.  The water is put into the teapot, but it does not serve its purpose until it is boiling.  When the pot starts to whistle and overflow that is when the water is ready to be used.  We are not ready and do not serve our purpose unless we are whistling with joy and overflowing with God.

I want to be that hot-hearted Christian, but to do that, I must give Him my all.  “All means all, and that’s all all means.”  Andrew Murray said this, “God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.”  But unless we yield to Him, He does not have much to work with.  We can be walking in the right path, listening to His voice, but our response is what will tell us if we REALLY want to know and if we REALLY have a prepared heart.

My desire is to be able to pray this prayer (Betty Scott Stam, China Inland Mission worker):
Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my time, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou will, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.”