I Heard the Voice of God
Photo of J. M. Walters Bridge by Robert Elder (bridgehunters.com)
I Heard the Voice of God
by a follower of Jesus
I was raised in a very small rural East Tennessee town. Growing up I knew very little about what it meant to be a Christian nor was I familiar with the church scene. At the age of sixteen I realized that I had a real need to pray to God. The only thing I could manage to pray was “God help me!” Then I began trying to bargain with God, “I’ll change my friends, stop my bad language, cut my hair and even start going to church. Nothing I offered to God brought relief. Then it seemed out of the darkness I remembered a little song from a vacation bible school, “Jesus Loves Me.” count them 13 times, over and over the words were affecting me. My prayer changed to “Jesus Save me from the mess that I have made of my life!” I asked Him to fill my heart with his peace, love and joy. When I asked Jesus to come into my heart a perfect PEACE did fill my mind and heart. I fulfilled my end of the bargain over the next few weeks. I started going to church, got my hair cut, stopped using bad language and dropped some of my friends. My life truly changed!
I began having a desire to know what God expected of me, as well as what I expected God to do for me. This is how I thought a relationship with God went. If I do what God wants me to do, then he will do what I want him to do for me.
Not so if you read Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Then it became obvious that communication was the key in this relationship. So I began talking to God the only way I knew how, through prayer. At first I did all the talking, but finally I tried asking God to tell me or show me what I could do to please him. I did this for several weeks, “Please God.” I longed for him to show me or even speak to me, just like when Moses saw the burning bush and heard the voice of God telling him exactly what he wanted him to do. What joy it would be to know God was speaking directly to me!
I want you to know, a few days later it happened, I heard the voice of God!! I want to give you some scripture, John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Here’s how it happened. A friend and I were fishing at a place called Walters Bridge. It was starting to get dark and we were gathering our fishing gear together for the long walk back to our car. I heard a faint call “Help me!” I paused for a minute, then resumed getting my stuff together. Again, I heard it “Help me!” I asked my friend if he had heard someone saying help me , but he said “No, there is no one left, everyone has already gone, you’re hearing things! I told him I was going to walk up the river a ways. As I walked in the dusky dark I didn’t hear or see anything. So I turned around….just then I heard it again “Help me!” I turned to look and listen and I saw a man’s head sticking up out of a muddy silt bog. I ran to him, cautious not to end up in the same circumstance. We began to rescue him when he told us that he had heart trouble and was weak. We were able to get him out and began to talk. To this day I don’t remember his name, only that he lived near Greenville some 35 miles away. If I had not heard the voice He would no doubt have died in that cold night, maybe buried alive never to be found.
I have looked back many times to those circumstances. I believe it was God’s voice I heard that night, and it was for me more that it was for that man. It was an answer to my prayers. It was God’s answer as to what he expected of me! Always be available to follow the voice of God when he calls you.
I will never forget that experience of seeing a person sinking in the miry pits and losing hope of ever receiving help. It was God’s calling for my life; minister to those in trouble, needing help, or in danger of losing hope! God has allowed me to be a youth leader for over 40 years in three different churches and in three states. I have truly been blessed!
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28
Build your relationships on integrity. It’s not who you say you are, it’s what you do every day, at any time, every time. Build a life others can count on.
Put God FIRST and let him order your steps daily.
Do you desire to hear God’s voice? I leave you with these words.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
In Christ Jesus
—Additional reading—
I welcome your comments and cherish your prayers. I will also be using blogs from guest writers and sharing the gospel with the hope that all people would find and embrace the love, joy, and peace that Jesus Christ so freely gives through a relationship with Him.
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About me
Brenda Hale lives in Kingston, TN and is a single mom of an awesome young man. Growing up my family was blessed to own a house with seven kids in two bedrooms and lots of bunk beds. We had not heard of Minimalism, but we were living it.
At my day job I use computer drafting to design/draw and then operate a CNC milling machine to modify and make things for our customers. The Lord helps me every day with the challenges and I love my job!
It was a wonderful surprise when I felt a calling to start a nonprofit ministry with two wings: to build small duplexes for the elderly to call home and provide vehicles to allow people to start their own business or to have a ride to work.
I am praying that this blog will encourage you to listen every day so you won’t miss your calling and then to walk with Jesus down the path to your purpose in this life.
