Most believers are content to hear a sermon on Sunday or listen to a preacher a couple of times each week. God designed it that we would hear from Him every day! Physical hearing is a gift, but spiritual hearing is a discipline. Every day God speaks, but we must be on His frequency. In the words of Vance Havner, we must be “in tune with Heaven.”

This is why the Lord Jesus constantly reminds His followers to hear what He is saying and what the Spirit is saying to them through the Word (Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9,23; Luke 8:8; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22). Yes, God speaks through creation, counsellors, and circumstances. But the primary way He speaks to us is through His written Word (Psalm 19).

Are you listening? Can you hear His voice? What has He said to you recently through the Word?

One reason I love recording our daily Enjoying the Journey podcast is I believe deeply in the power of the Word. As it is studied and spoken, the Spirit of truth works. A Bible teacher or preacher can speak to the ears or the intellect – but it is God who speaks to the heart. And speak He does!

A Principle and a Promise

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

We must hear the Word. As we take the Word in, God works in us to produce faith. The context of the verse is evangelism, and, as an evangelist, I hold a deep conviction in the power of the spoken Word of God. As a preacher, I need to hear the preaching and teaching of the Word myself. It does something for my soul that nothing else can do.

Do you need more faith? Then you need to hear more from the Word of God.

This is God’s way. He chose preaching as the means by which His Word advances in our lives and in our world (1 Corinthians 1:21). We do not need less Bible, we need more! As the Word increases, faith increases. Every good work the Holy Spirit does is connected to the Word of God.

Certainly we should be reading God’s Word for ourselves each day. But there is also something deeply helpful about hearing it read, explained, and applied. This is why Paul said, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). The eyes, the ears, the mind, and the heart are all to be engaged in receiving the Word of God.

Technology has now made it possible to hear preaching and teaching anytime, day or night. You can listen to both past and current voices, but one thing is vital – that they are faithfully preaching the Word. Measure every message you listen to by this standard: do I hear the truth of God?

Build into your devotional routine this year some time to regularly hear the preaching and teaching of the Word. This should begin each Lord’s day in your local church. It can continue every day by selecting Spirit-filled messages to listen to.

Some Help for Hearers

Today we begin our 7th year on the Enjoying the Journey podcast. We would be honored to have you join us as we walk through the Word together. Whether you listen early in the morning, on a commute, or with your family, it is our prayer that you will hear more than my voice – you will hear God’s Word.

• Each weekday listen to the 10 minute devotional study of Scripture. (Our first 2024 series begins today in Genesis!)
• Each weekend listen to a full length, recent Bible message on the Weekend Pulpit. From time to time, we will also share sermons from guest preachers who have been a great blessing to us.

If you have already subscribed, we hope you will recommit to making the journey with us through Scripture and sharing the studies with others. If you are brand new, welcome! Subscribe on your favorite podcast player or listen at enjoyingthejourney.org. Make it one of your goals to hear the Word of God every day this year, and may the Lord help us all to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).