Do You Hear God’s Voice Behind You?

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:18–21

In the days of Isaiah, God’s people had turned away from Him and placed idols at the center of their trust and worship. Yet God waited with mercy, longing to restore them. Out of this demonstration of His mercy comes this tender promise of intimate guidance—a quiet voice behind us, gently directing our steps in the very moments we begin to stray.

You may say, “I don’t hear the voice of God behind me!” 

Ah, my friend, I don’t always hear Him either. The times when I do not are the times when I’ve displaced God as the center of my life. You see, this specific kind of guidance does not come in isolation. God’s day-to-day direction flows to those who are already walking in His clearly revealed will as manifested in the Bible. In fact, Proverbs 3:5-6 captures the simplicity of God’s instructions quite beautifully: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean NOT on your own understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He SHALL direct your paths.”

The vast majority of God’s will for our lives is plainly stated in His Word. It calls us to make Him the unrivaled center by loving Him more than anything else and expressing that love through obedience. Jesus said our obedience is proof of our love. (John 14:15) Thus, when we commit to praying without ceasing, diligently studying Scripture, spending unhurried time in His presence, committing wholeheartedly to a local body of believers, living all-in for His glory in every area of our lives, loving others, and engaging in evangelism and discipleship—not as occasional obligations—but as part of the daily rhythm of our lives—then we are so in tune with God that we are able to hear His voice. Think about this…

A soldier who never finishes basic training or ignores all the tenets of Army TRADOC will never be entrusted with classified intel or called up by the high command to embark on a special operation.

When we faithfully acknowledge God in all our ways—refusing to lean on our limited understanding—He promises to direct our paths. This direction often comes as that still, small voice behind us, just as Isaiah described. Psalm 32:8 says it this way: 

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” 

God does not leave us to figure out every detail alone; He actively instructs, teaches, and counsels with watchful care, guiding us in the ordinary decisions and daily turns of life. But to do so, His Word must be hidden in our hearts and become our way of thinking. Then it becomes a “lamp to our feet and a light to our path.”  Psalm 119:105

In the darkness of uncertainty and life’s daily pressures, God, through His Word, illuminates the next step right in front of us. As we live in obedience to His Word, our spiritual senses sharpen. We become more aware of how frail fleshly self-reliance is, and we more and more long to experience God’s wise and wonderful presence and His guidance.

God is patient and merciful. He waits to be gracious. As we center every area of life on Him and obey the general commands He has already given, we position ourselves to receive the very specific directions of God. Our soul begins to hear Him say, “This is the way, walk in it.” 

This is “the path of peace,” and there is nothing like it!

Today, commit afresh to the known will of God. Trust Him fully, acknowledge Him in every decision, and let His Word light your daily path. Do the things you know are written down about His will for you—prayer, study, church commitment, evangelism, discipleship, etc. As you do, you can expect to hear His voice more clearly, guiding you with wisdom that will blow your mind. 

I want God to amaze and astonish me every day, don’t you?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patient grace toward me, even when I have allowed other things to compete for the center of my heart. Today, I choose again today to make You my greatest love and the true center of my life. Help me walk faithfully in the general instructions of Your Word—praying without ceasing, studying Scripture, spending time in Your presence, committing to my local church, loving others through obedience, and pouring myself into evangelism and discipleship.

I want to trust in You with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding—help my unbelief. I desire in all my ways to acknowledge You, and to have You direct my paths. Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go; counsel me with Your eye upon me. Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Open my ears to hear Your voice behind me saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Whenever I begin to turn to the right or to the left and get off the path, give me specific guidance for my life. Remove anything that dulls my hearing, and let me walk in the fullness of Your joy. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.