God's voice

John 10:4 - “……because they recognize his voice.”

This verse reminded me about one former Kerygma forumer, coming from a different bible-based sect, criticizing some Catholic lay preachers for saying that they heard the voice of God. His contention is this simple – anybody who claims to hear the voice of God is crazy.

Which leads anyone to wonder that how can he claims to have read the bible from cover to cover and yet found no biblical proofs of people of God hearing His voice.

Adam heard Him and talked to Him while circumventing his first sin to Eve’s presence.
Eve passed the buck to the snake when asked by the Lord afterwards.
Cain denied to God what he did to Abel.
Noah listened to God’s command for him to build the ark.
God’s voice was audibly clear when He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
Moses has a lot of conversations with God before, during and after the Israelites fled out of Egypt.
There are just to name a few.

But the most compelling proof of man hearing God’s voice is when Jesus came down to be one with us.
Our blessed Mother and St. Joseph converse with Him during His growing years.
And throughout the 3 years of His public ministry, hundreds upon hundread heard Him preach and talk everyday.
The apostles were even direct recipient of His verbal final instructions before His ascension.

After Jesus went back to heaven, God still speaks to his people.
St.Paul heard His voice which led to his conversion.
Stories of Saints passed over the ages are testimonies of God’s desire to let us know His will.
I just read the story of Sts. Cosmo and Damian (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stc06001.htm) and on how God intervene between the brother’s quarrel when Damian accepted a cured woman’s reward for their ministering.

So unless we think that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of present time and unless we believe that Jesus is not God when he became man,
then we have no way to doubt that God can speak to us.

The problem of man in the present time is that God’s voice is drowned by the concerns of the world, the self-righteousness and conceitedness of man that continues to deafen our perception of God’s influence in our lives. It will take a pious and humble heart to really detach oneself of all distractions and truly listen to, with the intent of hearing, God’s voice.

Believe that He can and He does if we only recognize His voice.