by Twana Young
November 26, 2020
There is this song I have been listening to called Voice of God. Dante Bowe, Jeff Schneeweis, Mitch Wong, and Tywan Mack wrote this song. Dante sings it along with Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore.
As I was driving the other day and listening to the song I began to really think about the meaning behind it. Some of the lyrics go like this:
I can hear it in the crackle of a bonfire
And I can hear it in the middle of the ocean water
Oh, I just can’t explain
But it makes me wanna cry
And I can hear it when the rain falls on my windowsill
On a playground where children’s laughter lives
Oh, I can’t explain
But it makes me wanna cry
And I can hear it in the busy New York city streets
And I can hear it in the country Georgia fields of green
Oh, I can’t explain, no
But it makes me wanna cry
As I reflected on this, I started to wonder, do WE hear HIS VOICE still today? I mean this world is busy, it’s noisy, and just turning on the news or even looking on Facebook can give you anxiety. So I wonder in the busyness of day to day, in the burdens that lay heavy on our shoulders, how often do we take the time to hear the voice of God?
In the lyrics after Dante describes each time and each way he hears the voice of God, he sings “It makes me wanna cry.” There is a lot in this world to cry about, but I wonder, when was the last time that we LEANED IN to hear the VOICE of GOD? When was the last time we even recognized the VOICE of GOD? And when was the last time that hearing His VOICE, feeling His PRESENCE, and KNOWING through FAITH that He was walking beside us made us want to cry?
If you have never experienced. it, just imagine hearing a voice in your spirit that moves you to tears. For me, it’s not a voice that gets carried across sound waves like we are used to. It’s more than that. It is deeper. Something in you moves; something deep within you stirs; your thoughts, your heart, your focus changes and you recognize the voice of the one who created you.
I worry because I think that as individuals and as His church in this in this nation we are missing His voice today. I know for my own personal self that I have to be intentional. I have to slow down and LEAN IN. Because God is always speaking, He is always reminding us of WHO He is, He is always present in our lives, He is ALWAYS LOOKING AT US, but the problem is we are NOT ALWAYS LOOKING AT HIM. And I am afraid that even when we do, we don’t really see Him. We don’t see His GLORY, His RIGHTEOUSNESS, His BEAUTY, His LOVE, His GRACE, His FORGIVENESS, His JUSTICE, or His SOVERIGNTY.
I worry because I think we sometimes relegate Him to the position of the favorite uncle that everyone loves when He first walks in the door, or when they need him, or when they want someone to remind them of how special they are, or when they want someone to be on their side in an agreement, or when they want to hear stories about the old adventures that he used to go on. And boy do we love to hear about those adventures. We get excited and imagine that if we were part of these stories from the old days, he would save us too. We know that He knew us before we were even born (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:15-16). He planned us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) so yes, in that way we are part of the stories from the old days. However, what we often neglect to think about is that we are part of the stories of NOW. He is doing things NOW. He is moving NOW. He is healing NOW. He is bringing provision NOW. He is restoring and redeeming NOW.
We need to see what He is doing NOW, in our lives, in our families, in our churches, in our country, and in this world. We need to understand that COVID-19, our political and racial climate do not stop His voice, His will or His purpose. The mountains we are facing do not and cannot stop Him from SPEAKING. He is bigger than all of those things. He is SOVERIGN over all things, that includes everything in this universe and beyond. So we need to be listening to His VOICE. But to hear Him, we have to know Him. We have to open our bibles, read and study the word of God and then pray. Everyday. That is how you build a relationship.
Despite how we may treat Him, we are not building a relationship with our favorite uncle; we are building a relationship with the ONE TRUE, LIVING GOD. That alone should make you wanna cry. To know that the ALL-POWERFUL, ALMIGHTY, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, CREATOR OF EVERYTHING wants to have a relationship with YOU.
My prayer for us on this Thanksgiving day is that we hear the VOICE of GOD everyday. That we don’t miss a word HE is speaking. That we understand and revere Him for WHO He is. That we overflow with gratitude even in the midst of our painful situations and we LISTEN to the LOVE, GRACE, HOPE, and JOY, that He is pouring out. Pay attention to the MOMENTS where HE is speaking, He is reminding you, where He is encouraging you. And just in case you were wondering where those moments are, Dante shares those in his song too. He describes it like this:
It sounds like grand-momma, telling you where you come from
I love this lyric because we talk about generational curses too often. We vow to stand and fight against them, but we hold them up like trophies. Yes lets fight the generational curses, but what about talking about generational prayers and generational inheritance. That is where we come from. We don’t come from a curse. Jesus died to change that. That is why we are made new in Him. So listen to the VOICE of GOD in what grand-momma is saying when she tells you where you come from. Hear the strength, the faith, the grace, the love, and the hope of those whose shoulders you stand on.
The song continues on and goes like this:
Said it’s kinda like laughter, out of the mouths of your lovеd ones
Or catching up with an old friend, reminiscing on back whеn
It’s like a summertime sprinkler, street side with my ice cream cone
Said it sounds like a choir, singing hymns, hallelujah
It’s the voice of God,
It can make a grown man cry
And I can hear it on the wind of an early morning, haha
When the fog is getting thick and the birds are chirping
Oh, it’s just something I can’t explain, no
But it makes me wanna cry
And I can hear it in the hush of a midnight hour
When I’m alone in my room, if I’m going under
Oh, I just can’t explain, no
But it brings me back to life
It’s like the sound of a newborn baby crying
Like the final breath of a loved one passing
Oh, it’s a beautiful thing, yeah
‘Cause it leads me to the light
It’s like a drive-through movie, small town with a big screen
Like grilling out in the front yard, sometimes it’s the simple things
Like storytelling with my grandpa, he was so easy to believe
Like when the sun goes up, yeah, sometimes it’s better when the sun comes down
‘Cause there’s just something about the moonlight
And it can make you feel alright
Oh, it’s the voice of God
And it can make a grown man cry
If you listen
You will hear Him
Voice of God, it’s the voice of God
In the question
He’s the answer
Voice of God, it’s the voice of God
Just like my daddy
He always taught me
Voice of God Yes it is (It’s the voice of God
So I encourage you today that no matter what you are going through, PAY ATTENTION to the MOMENTS and listen for the VOICE OF GOD. It may not be that He is giving you some profound revelation or instilling some deep theological point. It could be that He is reminding you of His Love. It could be that He is extending His grace in your situation. It could be that He is giving you a moment to pause and be still so He can restore your soul. It could be that He is healing loneliness, hurt, depression, anxiety through time with loved ones or reminiscing with friends. It could be that He is speaking through the passage of scripture you are reading, the worship song you are listening to, the Godly counsel He places in your life. It could be that He is speaking to you each morning, whispering to you when you look in the mirror, encouraging you to see yourself the way He sees you – as His beloved; the apple of His eye; you are one that is fearfully and wonderfully made; a man or woman of purpose. Whatever it is, He is speaking to you. Take time to slow down and listen to His voice, the VOICE of GOD.
Listen to the song Voice of God on youtube.
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