Jon David Banks

Someone recently asked the question, “How do we differentiate between the

Lord’s voice and our inner thoughts?” The following was my answer:

1 Kings 19:9-13,

9 Then he came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

11 So He said, “Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

13 And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

You can see the Lord’s voice is described as a gentile blowing. The ESV describes it as the sound of a true whisper. The KJV describes it as a still small voice.

John 10:27-30,

27 “My sheep HEAR My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

30 “I and the Father are one.”

191 akoúō – properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God’s voice which prompts Him to birth faith within (cf. Ro 10:17). See 189 (akoē).

[191 (akoúō) is the root of the English term, “acoustics.”]

An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic soundboard (the top of an acoustic guitar) to help transmit the strings energy into the air in order to produce its sound. The soundboard will add various tonal qualities due to its own mix of tonewoods and bracing, and the soundboard also has a strong effect on the loudness of the guitar.

So you can bet your life the Lord’s voice has a spectacular soundboard and cannot be mistaken for any other voice.

We don’t have to do anything to differentiate the Lord’s voice from our inner thoughts. His children simply KNOW His voice.

Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant

Author: Jon David Banks

The Lord’s Voice