Voices

 
            Today, more than ever, we are surrounded with voices. Our friends, family, the news, social media, and advertisements are constantly speaking to us. I recently read that we hear approximately 30,000 words each day and between 4,000 and 10,000 commercials in a twenty-four hour period. That’s a lot of voices.

            At the command of His voice, God created the universe. “The unfathomable cosmos came into being at the word of the Eternal’s imagination, a solitary voice in endless darkness. The breath of His mouth whispered the sea of stars into existence” (Psalm 33:6, VOICE). “God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared” (Genesis 1:3, MSG).

            The words voices speak contain messages. The verses above show God created the universe with words. He communicated the Gospel through His Son, Jesus, the Word. He spoke humanity into being, made in His image. Like God, we are able to communicate through our voices – to influence what is created.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]” (Proverbs 18:21 AMPC). Our words and the words of others carry weight and influence.

            With words, we can build up or tear down. We can speak hope or proclaim fear. We can give thanks or complain.

            In addition to voices on the outside, there are voices on the inside. They can be voices of hope, encouragement, and love, or they can be voices of fear, shame, and guilt. The question is, what voices are we listening to – the ones which tear down or the ones which build up? Which voices will we accept and believe and which ones will we reject?

            In simplest terms, the words of the voices we hear speak either fear (from our enemy, Satan) or faith (from our heavenly Father, God).

            The words that come from Satan are full of lies and murder (John 8:44), accusation (Zechariah 3:1-2), lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and deceit (Genesis 3:1).

            But the voice of God through His Word tells us that as believers in Jesus, He is for us, and not against us (Romans 8:31), He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), He has poured His glorious grace upon us (Ephesians 1:6), He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3), He will give us His wisdom when we ask for it in faith (James 1:5), He has poured out His Holy Spirit upon us (Titus 3:6), given us His peace at all times and in every situation (2 Thessalonians 3:36), welled forth His love within our hearts (Romans 5:5), and shown us His special favour (1 Corinthians 15:10).

            Jesus said in John 10:27-28 (VOICE), “My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me. I give them a life that is unceasing, and death will not have the last word...” The voice of Jesus leads us to Heaven and life eternal.