The Loudest Voice

A huge decision . . . life-changing really . . . and we needed to hear from God right away.

Earlier this week, our daughter Jenna returned home from visiting Arizona Christian University. She had presented her story and insights to students in their Education Department, helping these future teachers understand cochlear implants and how to accommodate the needs of children who are hearing-impaired.

Not only had she been warmly welcomed and embraced by the students she met, but she loved their education program and wondered if God was asking her to take a huge step of faith.

The decision: Should she transfer to a school twelve hours away?

The life-changing part: For the first time EVER, she and her twin sister would be separated.

The plan: Everybody pray!

As I’ve told you before, my deepest comfort in relationship with Jesus is that He is a Savior who speaks . . . personally, powerfully and practically. He doesn’t randomly throw out generic advice. He speaks to the deepest needs and concerns of our hearts. One verse that has radically changed and simplified my prayer life is from Isaiah:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:21)

As I’ve prayed this Scripture for our children over the years, I’ve realized it actually encompasses my deepest desire for my kids: to hear God’s voice above all others – louder than their own desires, louder than the distractions of the world, louder even than the advice of their parents.

So my prayer for them as well as for my whole extended family has become: “Lord, be the loudest Voice in our lives!” Simple. Powerful. Life-Changing.

So back to Jenna’s dilemma. As she continued to wrestle with her decision of whether or not to move to Phoenix, she began to feel added stressed because her boss was pressuring her to submit her work schedule for the next semester.

Yes . . . God speaks . . . but how does He do with deadlines?

After more prayer, Jenna said: “I sense God is going to tell me His answer tonight, but I’m not going to tell you what He says until after you hear from Him . . . so keep praying.”

I love the creativity and adventurous heart of our God. Earlier in the week, completely out of the blue, God put the story of Gideon on my mind. I thought, “Yeah, I’d like to read that again,” but I had no idea where it was in the Bible so I googled it, and just to save you the trouble – you too can enjoy the inspirational story of Gideon in the book of Judges, chapters 6-8.

So that night, as I laid the decision before God once again, I sensed Him telling me to read Gideon’s story with fresh eyes, and as I did, God highlighted His answer: “Go . . . Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14)

“Go” – the same answer God had given Jenna hours before.

Even though she is being called to step out on the water into a place full of unknowns and uncertainties and even heartache, she has peace because she knows God is saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

My favorite Courageous Faith retreat talk is on the topic of Courageous Attention and the corresponding faith choice: “I refuse to treat the Word of God as an afterthought. Instead I choose to pay attention to His Word and His Voice.”

I wonder how different our decision-making process would be if we were deeply convinced of the truth that Jesus “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out … and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:3)

May God silence our distractions and untangle our confusion so that we hear His Voice more clearly and more often: “This is the way; walk in it.”

Lord, be the loudest Voice in our lives!