When I was working at Bank One many years ago, we had high ceilings in the bank which caused everything to echo. They decided to higher a firm to come in and place "White Noise" speakers to drown out the other noise. Even though it drowned out the echo of the bank lobby, it still was Noise. It was just a different type and style of noise. We have to be cautious and careful that we are not replacing one noise with another.
The other day I was typing a chapter to a new book I am toying with. While I was sitting there typing, I realized I was having trouble focusing with my wife doing the dishes, the three kids running around, the television on, and the dog chasing the cat. I found it a little challenging focusing on what I was trying to write. I put the laptop down, went into the basement and grabbed my shooting ear muffs. I figured if it can muffle a shotgun sound, surely it would drown out the chaos around me. It did its job!
This brings me to my point: Why do most people not hear the Voice of God? Is it because God does not speak to us anymore? NO... Is it because we think it has to be in one fashion or another? PERHAPS... I think more than anything it is because we do not have ears to hear and eyes to see. Do you remember the Batman movie with Val Kilmer as Batman, and Nicole Kidman as his love interest? When they were at the circus, Bruce Wayne stands up and shouts at Harvey-Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) "I AM BATMAN!" Nobody heard a word that came out of his mouth. Do you know why, because there was so much noise and clatter all around them.
I believe the #1 reason that people do not hear the Voice of God, is that there is too much clanging and loud noise going on in their lives. God is speaking, but they do not have ears to hear. I believe that God speaks to us in several different ways:
1) Primarily through the reading of His Word. The Bible never ceases to amaze me. Anybody that says they can't read the Bible because it is boring, just hasn't picked it up. Every time that I read it, the Lord speaks something to me.
2) It is through the Holy Spirits impression on your heart. I have never experienced a big booming voice out of heaven, but I do experience quite frequently an impression in my soul. Don't discount this as just thoughts or indigestions. Listen to what He is telling you.
3) Another common way that the Lord wants to speak to us is both through Visions and Dreams. I have had many people tell me that they have had dreams they felt were from the Lord. Don't discount a dream, that is anything other that REM (Rapid Eye Movement), as being attributable to having too much pizza the night before.
The point I wish to make is that we have to silence all of the loud clanging noise in our lives, in order to hear the voice of God. Are you willing to de-clutter, less complicate, add serenity, and speak peace to the storms of your life? If so, I can 100% with assurance guarantee that you will hear the Voice of God...