My sheep hear my voice (8) Rhema (I)

When Peter, speaking to Jesus asks “Where shall we go, You have the words of eternal life,” the English word “words” translates the Greek word rhema (actually the plural rhemata). We discussed earlier the other Greek word “logos,” which is also translated “word” in English versions. Perhaps a little over simplistically, we can think of logos as the written word, and rhema as the spoken word. However as Peter tells us, when Jesus or Holy Spirit speak to us it brings life. As His sheep we hear His voice both through His written, and by His spoken (not usually audible), Word.

By and large, the world hears our claim to hear the voice of God as insanity. This is not hard to understand, when you consider that there are those who have claimed that God told them to murder somebody. But this cannot be God, because He tells us not to murder (Exodus 20:13). More common is hearing of cases where people claim God told them to divorce their spouse, and marry another. This too cannot be God, because it too would contradict His written Word (Matthew 19:6). It seems likely that the first case is a case of listening to the evil One (John 10:10a again), and in the second, confusing God’s voice with his or her own desires.

And all this points to the need to know how to discern, and for me explains why much of the Church has shied away from teaching on hearing His voice. But to do this is to deprive ourselves of a primary source of strengthening, encouragement and comfort (c.f. I Corinthians 14:3). We do however need to put Biblical safeguards in place. In particular we are to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And two of the primary ways to do this, is first to realize that He will never contradict His written Word, and secondly that He put us onto fellowship so that as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) we would sharpen each other, in particularly in our ability to discern and hear clearly. We were made to need each other, so no lone ranger Christians please!

Father, the saying “No hatch, match or dispatch” (hatch - births, match - words telling you to marry this one or that one and dispatch - someone dying) is probably good advice. And we really do need to be careful. However I remember You telling me that I would not see my step dad alive even though he did not seem to be ill, and we were scheduled to visit. It did cause us to pray, and in fact he got saved just before he died, and before the scheduled visit. Thank You Lord for confirming many times, both that I do hear from You, and that we need to test all things. In particular thank You that You have taught me to always ask for confirmation. Thank You too Lord for the strengthening, encouragement and comfort You have given through the various ways You have “spoken” to me. In Jesus Name Amen