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When the Word of God Can Transform Your Life, and, More, Save It

By Anita Mathias

ark model johan huibers dordrecht

Full size model of Noah’s Ark, built by Johan Huibers. (Opened July 9, 2012. Dordrecht, Netherlands.

On holiday in Copenhagen, I learned in the fabulous Danish National Museum that Ice Age Hunters could walk from Jutland, Denmark to England. After the great deluge, (probably triggered by the melting of the North American glaciers) described in the myths of hundreds of cultures, it was no longer possible.

In Genesis 6-10, we read how Noah, “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, who walked with God,” was saved from this natural disaster because he listened to God’s very specific directions for building the ark–see Gen 6: 14-21.

And Noah was saved while his nation perished. The ability to hear the word of God not only transforms our lives—but may save them.

* * *

But there is a price to hearing the word of God “ like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matt: 13:44. Free treasure, but buying the field costs not less than everything.

The Negev Desert covers half of Israel, beneath the snow-covered mountains of the North. Build a massive ship—450 feet long— in the desert?? Noah looked ridiculous. His neighbours must have scoffed! How he must have doubted himself! But he persisted.

How difficult that must have been.

Perhaps the inner voice was so insistent that it was more painful to ignore it than to listen to it. And his obedience saved his life.

* * *

 And God still speaks to us as he spoke to Noah.

 A. W. Tozer writes, “God is forever seeking to speak to His creation. The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.”

And hearing God, the logos in Scripture, and the rhema, the living word sharper than a double-edged sword, changes your life. It may even save it.

* * *

My most-life changing decisions came to me from left-field, out of the blue, when resting in the presence of God—

a) applying to Oxford University (only!!),

b) becoming a writer

c) whom to marry!

d) starting my publishing company which now supports our family (an idea which came with Noah-like practicality, and suggestions of printers to use, distributors and how to get the books formatted!!)

e) taking up blogging–which I would never have been able to stick to if I had not been certain that it was God’s will. It is so prodigal of energy, and can take a while to pay off either financially, or as the launch-pad of a career!

f) Declining chemo after Stage III cancer.

* * *

How do we hear God’s voice? Tune in to that easily-missed frequency?

Here are some ways I have personally found helpful, and, of course, I am trying to describe nebulous, numinous spiritual experience.

1)   God speaks continuously and is not silent. However, the more we listen to him, the more we are able to recognise and tune in to the faint, tenuous, radio frequency of his voice.

Obey him when you hear him speak. You know, that fib you were going to tell to get out of a foolish over-commitment? Stop. Say no. No is a complete sentence.

And that argument. Drop it. Seek peace and pursue it.

Or I might hear God say: “Anita, stop spiralling into the black hole of negativity and unforgiveness; think about the good things about this person and situation, and thank me for them.” And I obey

Passing the practice tests helps me know what that still small voice sounds like.  And then I recognize it when I really, really need God’s guidance for how to develop my business or my blog.

If we do not obey God when we hear him speak, we are no longer sure if what we hear is God’s voice or not. We can lose the spiritual sixth sense which helps us hear God’s voice.

2) Make space for him. I love soaking prayer, an agendaless resting in God’s presence. It takes a while to settle down, it can seem, in Richard Foster’s phrase, “not just a waste of time, but a waste of self,” but, then, often, God speaks. And even when he does not, I still feel strengthened, built up, filled, fed just by the experience of resting in his presence.

3) As star differs from star in splendour (1 Cor 15:41) so too our experiences of hearing God will differ. Remember and record them.

Listen to your body. For me, hearing God’s specific guidance feels like electricity tingling through my body. As if I’ve been trepanned and had a pearl dropped into my brain.

Listen to your emotions. I feel excitement, exhilaration, a thrill, certainty. Once I am sure it’s God, I am usually tenacious in doing what I have heard him say.

Listen to your spirit.  For me, the signs are joy and peace.

4) Knowing what God sounds like in the Logos, the written word, will help us recognise the still small voice of the Spirit.

Just as we learn to be more kind, truthful, loving, and patient through a two-steps forward, one step backwards process, so too we learn to hear God’s voice, through trial and error.

And sometimes, We will get it wrong.

Francis of Assisi heard the icon say, Francis: Rebuild my house. And he, the literalist, steals bales of cloth from his father and sells them to rebuild the church of San Damiano. Later he senses God say, “No, not your neighbourhood church. For I dwell not in a house built by human hands.  Heaven is my dwelling place, and the whole earth is full of my glory.  I meant rebuild the Holy Catholic Church which is now in ruins.”

Through trial and error, we learn what God’s voice sounds like.  When I hear God myself, or listen to people whose spiritual experience I trust tell me about hearing God, or listen to the way Jesus spoke in the Gospels–well, there are certain stylistic similarities. He speaks simply, often in one-liners, which is why Francis, for instance, misinterpreted him—a common experience, actually, as one reads spiritual biographies.

* * *

R. T. Kendall’s The Sensitivity of the Spirit, incidentally, is a fab book if you would like to explore hearing God’s voice in greater depth.


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Filed Under: Genesis Tagged With: Genesis, Hearing God's voice, Noah, the voice of God

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Comments

  1. Debra Seiling says

    January 8, 2013 at 3:41 am

    Dear Anita, I really like that you explained about listening when God talks to you. Everytime I’ve listened, my life has been totally changed in ways that wouldn’t have even been possible, otherwise. Also, when I’ve second-guessed the instincts and feelings that God has given me, I have regretted it ever since. I’m not open to listening, because I am afraid of the regrets, but I am open, because it feels like this totally personal relationship with God, where He cares so much about what is going on in my life, that He guides me, corrects me, and moves me forward. Thanks so much!  Debra Seiling  http://bible-passages.blogspot.com  and  http://christian-overeaters.blogspot.com 

  2. Don says

    January 4, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    Another great essay, Anita! I can affirm what you wrote about hearing God’s voice. (But I’m not sure I would be obedient and courageous enough to build an Ark. That would require an enormous gift of grace.)

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 5, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Oh yes, me too!
      Thank you for reading, Don!

  3. JeanetteEdgar says

    January 4, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    Love this post. Reading God’s word for myself changed my life, and I’d been in church for over 20 years. BTW, love Foster’s Spiritual Disciplines book!

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 4, 2013 at 2:25 pm

      Yes, mine too. Really engaging with it does change you!

    • Anita Mathias says

      January 5, 2013 at 6:45 pm

      Oh yes, it challenges you far more than sermons, because you can linger on a thought or sentence for as long as possible. A sermon is listening to someone else’s insights, and it can rush to 4 other points before you’ve digested one.

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Oxford, England. Writer, memoirist, podcaster, blogger, Biblical meditation teacher, mum

Hi Friends, I have taped a meditation; do listen a Hi Friends, I have taped a meditation; do listen at this link: https://anitamathias.com/2025/04/08/the-kingdom-of-god-is-here-already-yet-not-yet-here-2/
It’s on the Kingdom of God, of which Christ so often spoke, which is here already—a mysterious, shimmering internal palace in which, in lightning flashes, we experience peace and joy, and yet, of course, not yet fully here. We sense the rainbowed presence of Christ in the song which pulses through creation. Christ strolls into our rooms with his wisdom and guidance, and things change. Our prayers are answered; we are healed; our hearts are strangely warmed. Sometimes.
And yet, we also experience evil within & all around us. Our own sin which can shatter our peace and the trajectory of our lives. And the sins of the world—its greed, dishonesty and environmental destruction.
But in this broken world, we still experience the glory of creation; “coincidences” which accelerate once we start praying, and shalom which envelops us like sudden sunshine. The portals into this Kingdom include repentance, gratitude, meditative breathing, and absolute surrender.
The Kingdom of God is here already. We can experience its beauty, peace and joy today through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But yet, since, in the Apostle Paul’s words, we do not struggle only “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the unseen powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil,” its fullness still lingers…
Our daughter Zoe was ordained into the Church of E Our daughter Zoe was ordained into the Church of England in June. I have been on a social media break… but … better late than never. Enjoy!
First picture has my sister, Shalini, who kindly flew in from the US. Our lovely cousins Anthony and Sarah flank Zoe in the next picture.
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullaly, ordained Zoe. You can see her praying that Zoe will be filled with the Holy Spirit!!
And here’s a meditation I’ve recorded, which you might enjoy. The link is also in my profile
https://anitamathias.com/2024/11/07/all-those-who-exalt-themselves-will-be-humbled-the-humble-will-be-exalted/
I have taped a meditation on Jesus statement in Ma I have taped a meditation on Jesus statement in Matthew 23, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Do listen here. https://anitamathias.com/2024/11/07/all-those-who-exalt-themselves-will-be-humbled-the-humble-will-be-exalted/
Link also in bio.
And so, Jesus states a law of life. Those who broadcast their amazingness will be humbled, since God dislikes—scorns that, as much as people do.  For to trumpet our success, wealth, brilliance, giftedness or popularity is to get distracted from our life’s purpose into worthless activity. Those who love power, who are sure they know best, and who must be the best, will eventually be humbled by God and life. For their focus has shifted from loving God, doing good work, and being a blessing to their family, friends, and the world towards impressing others, being enviable, perhaps famous. These things are houses built on sand, which will crumble when hammered by the waves of old age, infirmity or adversity. 
God resists the proud, Scripture tells us—those who crave the admiration and power which is His alone. So how do we resist pride? We slow down, so that we realise (and repent) when sheer pride sparks our allergies to people, our enmities, our determination to have our own way, or our grandiose ego-driven goals, and ambitions. Once we stop chasing limelight, a great quietness steals over our lives. We no longer need the drug of continual achievement, or to share images of glittering travel, parties, prizes or friends. We just enjoy them quietly. My life is for itself & not for a spectacle, Emerson wrote. And, as Jesus advises, we quit sharp-elbowing ourselves to sit with the shiniest people, but are content to hang out with ordinary people; and then, as Jesus said, we will inevitably, eventually, be summoned higher to the sparkling conversation we craved. 
One day, every knee will bow before the gentle lamb who was slain, now seated on the throne. We will all be silent before him. Let us live gently then, our eyes on Christ, continually asking for his power, his Spirit, and his direction, moving, dancing, in the direction that we sense him move.
Link to new podcast in Bio https://anitamathias.co Link to new podcast in Bio https://anitamathias.com/2024/02/20/how-jesus-dealt-with-hostility-and-enemies/
3 days before his death, Jesus rampages through the commercialised temple, overturning the tables of moneychangers. Who gave you the authority to do these things? his outraged adversaries ask. And Jesus shows us how to answer hostile questions. Slow down. Breathe. Quick arrow prayers!
Your enemies have no power over your life that your Father has not permitted them. Ask your Father for wisdom, remembering: Questions do not need to be answered. Are these questioners worthy of the treasures of your heart? Or would that be feeding pearls to hungry pigs, who might instead devour you?
Questions can contain pitfalls, traps, nooses. Jesus directly answered just three of the 183 questions he was asked, refusing to answer some; answering others with a good question.
But how do we get the inner calm and wisdom to recognise
and sidestep entrapping questions? Long before the day of
testing, practice slow, easy breathing, and tune in to the frequency of the Father. There’s no record of Jesus running, rushing, getting stressed, or lacking peace. He never spoke on his own, he told us, without checking in with the Father. So, no foolish, ill-judged statements. Breathing in the wisdom of the Father beside and within him, he, unintimidated, traps the trappers.
Wisdom begins with training ourselves to slow down and ask
the Father for guidance. Then our calm minds, made perceptive, will help us recognise danger and trick questions, even those coated in flattery, and sidestep them or refuse to answer.
We practice tuning in to heavenly wisdom by practising–asking God questions, and then listening for his answers about the best way to do simple things…organise a home or write. Then, we build upwards, asking for wisdom in more complex things.
Listening for the voice of God before we speak, and asking for a filling of the Spirit, which Jesus calls streams of living water within us, will give us wisdom to know what to say, which, frequently, is nothing at all. It will quieten us with the silence of God, which sings through the world, through sun and stars, sky and flowers.
Especially for @ samheckt Some very imperfect pi Especially for @ samheckt 
Some very imperfect pictures of my labradoodle Merry, and golden retriever Pippi.
And since, I’m on social media, if you are the meditating type, here’s a scriptural meditation on not being afraid, while being prudent. https://anitamathias.com/2024/01/03/do-not-be-afraid-but-do-be-prudent/
A new podcast. Link in bio https://anitamathias.c A new podcast. Link in bio
https://anitamathias.com/2024/01/03/do-not-be-afraid-but-do-be-prudent/
Do Not Be Afraid, but Do Be Prudent
“Do not be afraid,” a dream-angel tells Joseph, to marry Mary, who’s pregnant, though a virgin, for in our magical, God-invaded world, the Spirit has placed God in her. Call the baby Jesus, or The Lord saves, for he will drag people free from the chokehold of their sins.
And Joseph is not afraid. And the angel was right, for a star rose, signalling a new King of the Jews. Astrologers followed it, threatening King Herod, whose chief priests recounted Micah’s 600-year-old prophecy: the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, as Jesus had just been, while his parents from Nazareth registered for Augustus Caesar’s census of the entire Roman world. 
The Magi worshipped the baby, offering gold. And shepherds came, told by an angel of joy: that the Messiah, a saviour from all that oppresses, had just been born.
Then, suddenly, the dream-angel warned: Flee with the child to Egypt. For Herod plans to kill this baby, forever-King.
Do not be afraid, but still flee? Become a refugee? But lightning-bolt coincidences verified the angel’s first words: The magi with gold for the flight. Shepherds
telling of angels singing of coming inner peace. Joseph flees.
What’s the difference between fear and prudence? Fear is being frozen or panicked by imaginary what-ifs. It tenses our bodies; strains health, sleep and relationships; makes us stingy with ourselves & others; leads to overwork, & time wasted doing pointless things for fear of people’s opinions.
Prudence is wisdom-using our experience & spiritual discernment as we battle the demonic forces of this dark world, in Paul’s phrase.It’s fighting with divinely powerful weapons: truth, righteousness, faith, Scripture & prayer, while surrendering our thoughts to Christ. 
So let’s act prudently, wisely & bravely, silencing fear, while remaining alert to God’s guidance, delivered through inner peace or intuitions of danger and wrongness, our spiritual senses tuned to the Spirit’s “No,” his “Slow,” his “Go,” as cautious as a serpent, protected, while being as gentle as a lamb among wolves.
Link to post with podcast link in Bio or https://a Link to post with podcast link in Bio or https://anitamathias.com/2023/09/22/dont-walk-away-from-jesus-but-if-you-do-he-still-looks-at-you-and-loves-you/
Jesus came from a Kingdom of voluntary gentleness, in which
Christ, the Lion of Judah, stands at the centre of the throne in the guise of a lamb, looking as if it had been slain. No wonder his disciples struggled with his counter-cultural values. Oh, and we too!
The mother of the Apostles James and John, asks Jesus for a favour—that once He became King, her sons got the most important, prestigious seats at court, on his right and left. And the other ten, who would have liked the fame, glory, power,limelight and honour themselves are indignant and threatened.
Oh-oh, Jesus says. Who gets five talents, who gets one,
who gets great wealth and success, who doesn’t–that the
Father controls. Don’t waste your one precious and fleeting
life seeking to lord it over others or boss them around.
But, in his wry kindness, he offers the ambitious twelve
and us something better than the second or third place.
He tells us how to actually be the most important person to
others at work, in our friend group, social circle, or church:Use your talents, gifts, and energy to bless others.
And we instinctively know Jesus is right. The greatest people in our lives are the kind people who invested in us, guided us and whose wise, radiant words are engraved on our hearts.
Wanting to sit with the cleverest, most successful, most famous people is the path of restlessness and discontent. The competition is vast. But seek to see people, to listen intently, to be kind, to empathise, and doors fling wide open for you, you rare thing!
The greatest person is the one who serves, Jesus says. Serves by using the one, two, or five talents God has given us to bless others, by finding a place where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. By writing which is a blessing, hospitality, walking with a sad friend, tidying a house.
And that is the only greatness worth having. That you yourself,your life and your work are a blessing to others. That the love and wisdom God pours into you lives in people’s hearts and minds, a blessing
https://anitamathias.com/.../dont-walk-away-from-j https://anitamathias.com/.../dont-walk-away-from-jesus.../
Sharing this podcast I recorded last week. LINK IN BIO
So Jesus makes a beautiful offer to the earnest, moral young man who came to him, seeking a spiritual life. Remarkably, the young man claims that he has kept all the commandments from his youth, including the command to love one’s neighbour as oneself, a statement Jesus does not challenge.
The challenge Jesus does offers him, however, the man cannot accept—to sell his vast possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow Jesus encumbered.
He leaves, grieving, and Jesus looks at him, loves him, and famously observes that it’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to live in the world of wonders which is living under Christ’s kingship, guidance and protection. 
He reassures his dismayed disciples, however, that with God even the treasure-burdened can squeeze into God’s kingdom, “for with God, all things are possible.”
Following him would quite literally mean walking into a world of daily wonders, and immensely rich conversation, walking through Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, quite impossible to do with suitcases and backpacks laden with treasure. 
For what would we reject God’s specific, internally heard whisper or directive, a micro-call? That is the idol which currently grips and possesses us. 
Not all of us have great riches, nor is money everyone’s greatest temptation—it can be success, fame, universal esteem, you name it…
But, since with God all things are possible, even those who waver in their pursuit of God can still experience him in fits and snatches, find our spirits singing on a walk or during worship in church, or find our hearts strangely warmed by Scripture, and, sometimes, even “see” Christ stand before us. 
For Christ looks at us, Christ loves us, and says, “With God, all things are possible,” even we, the flawed, entering his beautiful Kingdom.
https://anitamathias.com/2023/09/07/how-to-find-th https://anitamathias.com/2023/09/07/how-to-find-the-freedom-of-forgiveness/
How to Find the Freedom of Forgiveness
Letting go on anger and forgiving is both an emotional transaction & a decision of the will. We discover we cannot command our emotions to forgive and relinquish anger. So how do we find the space and clarity of forgiveness in our mind, spirit & emotions?
When tormenting memories surface, our cortisol, adrenaline, blood pressure, and heart rate all rise. It’s good to take a literally quick walk with Jesus, to calm this neurological and physiological storm. And then honestly name these emotions… for feelings buried alive never die.
Then, in a process called “the healing of memories,” mentally visualise the painful scene, seeing Christ himself there, his eyes brimming with compassion. Ask Christ to heal the sting, to draw the poison from these memories of experiences. We are caterpillars in a ring of fire, as Martin Luther wrote--unable to rescue ourselves. We need help from above.
Accept what happened. What happened, happened. Then, as the Apostle Paul advises, give thanks in everything, though not for everything. Give thanks because God can bring good out of the swindle and the injustice. Ask him to bring magic and beauty from the ashes.
If, like the persistent widow Jesus spoke of, you want to pray for justice--that the swindler and the abusers’ characters are revealed, so many are protected, then do so--but first, purify your own life.
And now, just forgive. Say aloud, I forgive you for … You are setting a captive free. Yourself. Come alive. Be free. 
And when memories of deep injuries arise, say: “No. No. Not going there.” Stop repeating the devastating story to yourself or anyone else. Don’t waste your time & emotional energy, nor let yourself be overwhelmed by anger at someone else’s evil actions. Don’t let the past poison today. Refuse to allow reinjury. Deliberately think instead of things noble, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
So keep trying, in obedience, to forgive, to let go of your anger until you suddenly realise that you have forgiven, and can remember past events without agitation. God be with us!
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