Many unbelievers assume Christians listen for the voice of God because they need solace amid their turmoil. They imagine a need for shelter—a forest canopy beneath a scorching sun. But this supposition reveals that these unbelievers have never heard the divine. God’s voice is a terrifying noise. And there is no telling what He might say. His nouns creak without warning. His verbs blow wherever they will.
The Word of God has troubled many a peaceful, easy feeling. There you were, enjoying the shade of the Cedars of Lebanon—until that disconcerting cracking sound (Psalm 29:5). There you were, delighting in the maple leaves, and then His Word strips the forest bare (Psalm 29:9)
Yes, the large swath of secularists fail to grasp this troublesome character of the Word of God. But Mark Twain was a more honest skeptic. He allegedly said, “It is not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me. It is the parts I do understand.”
As you come before the Living and Speaking God, you must do so surrendering all resistance to His directives. Lest you be tempted to edit God’s Word before giving it your amen, place your amen here at the introduction—whatever His Word to you may be.
