Which voice to listen to...

These two pictures have helped me to learn to distinguish God's voice from other voices.

The first voice is a voice that draws us away from God. It is an angry voice that accuses us. It shouts in our ears and it makes us feel worthless and hopeless. It keeps reminding us of our weaknesses and it keeps pointing out our sins. It tells us that our sins are like stains, that we have to try to wash away, but we never can, no matter how hard we try. It is a voice that covers us with shame and makes us shrink back to a cold and dark place.

The second voice is drawing us towards God. It is loving and strong. It is a voice of hope. It uncovers our weaknesses, but does so in a gentle way, bringing us to our knees. It helps us to look at ourselves in full light, through the lens of grace. It is a calm but passionate voice. It helps us to see that we are of value and that we are missed. It grows in us a desire to change and to show God our love for him. It makes us long for holiness. It is a voice that wants to free us, cleanse us, heal us, restore us and give us purpose.

The more we understand God’s love for us, the more we can understand how we hurt him by turning away from him and the more we are able to believe that He will recieve us with joy when we come back.

So, which voice do we trust?
And which voice will we be to others?
Link to video East to West




Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” Zechariah 3:1-3

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony Revelation 12:10,11a

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

More about forgiveness: When you feel you really messed up