Have you ever heard God's voice?

Have you ever heard God's voice?  Or do you even understand what that means?  How do you hear the voice of God?  How come so many people talk about it but no one knows how to describe it?

Seems to me that there is a disconnect.  How can we hear something that we don't even know how to listen for?  Have you ever thought about it?

I know that for me, hearing the voice of God has nothing to do with Moses' burning bush experience.  If you ask me, he had it easy.  In fact, everyone in the Old Testament had it easy.  They all got to talk to God.  Adam walked with God in the garden, Jacob wrestled with God, Joseph had vivid dreams and could interpret them, and Moses had a burning bush... that spoke, creepy.  And now, what do we have?  A conscience.  Conviction.  But how do you know if that is the voice of God or not?

Have you ever been sitting in your room and had a random thought?  One that seems to make no sense at all but it spurs on a thought process that brings you to a conclusion that you need to change something in your life?  I know I have.  I was sitting in my room one night, it was late.  I was thinking about everything I had to do the next day. And then, BAM! Random thought: "If you could change the world, what would you do?"  I was like "Jessi, its 1am... who cares."  But the question stuck in my mind.  I started to think about all the things that I wanted to change.  But then, I realized that it all stemmed from one thing.  I wanted to change how the world loved.  I wanted to change the concept of love.  "Oh geez", I thought, "how could I ever change how people view love?"  The answer was simple "Love how Jesus loves".  Now, I know that this wasn't a burning bush or a walking with God in the garden moment, but I would like to think that I was listening to the voice of God.  Not because it was about Jesus... but because when you really think about it... when you view it from all angles, it wasn't from a human heart that came up with that conclusion.   It was God's heart.  Because God wants to change the way we love.  He has wanted that since the beginning.  He sent His Son to die because He was showing us how to love; what love really looked like.

So what are those random thoughts going through your mind right now?  What do you think the Lord is telling you?  Do you even know how to decipher it?

Have you ever been so focused on listening for that voice that you miss it completely?  Have you ever thought that hearing the voice of God meant that it would be clear and you wouldn't be confused about what He was saying?  Have you ever thought you heard the voice of God but didn't act because you weren't sure if it was His voice?  Have you ever been begging God to talk but feel like He left you in utter silence?  Have you ever?