How to Hear the Voice of God, A. B. Simpson
“Years ago a friend placed in my hand a little book which became one of the turning points in my life. It was called True Peace, an old medieval message and it had but one thought–that God was waiting in the depth of my waiting to talk with me if I would only get still enough to hear Him.
I thought this would be a very easy matter, so I began to get still. But I had no sooner commenced than a perfect pandemonium of voices reached my ears, a thousand clamoring notes from without and within, until I could hear nothing but their noise and din. Some of them were my own voice, some of them were my own questions, some of them my own cares, some of them my own prayers. Others were suggestions of the tempter and the voices of the world’s turmoil.
Never before did there seem to be so many things to be done, to be said, to be thought; and in every direction . . . but God said, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ Then came the conflict of thoughts for the morrow and its duties and cares but God said, ‘Be still.’ And then there came the very prayers which my restless heart wanted to press upon Him; but God said, ‘Be still.’
As I listened and slowly learned to obey, and shut my ears to every sound, I found that after a while when the other voices ceased, or I ceased to hear them , there was a still small voice in the depth of my spirit. As I listened, it became to me the power of prayer, the voice of wisdom, and call of duty; and I did not need to think so hard, or pray so hard, or trust so hard, but that the ‘still, small voice’ of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God’s prayer in my secret soul, and God’s answer to all my questions.”
A. B. Simpson, (1843-1919)
