For the past several years I’ve participated in a weekly women’s Bible study through my church. The study has been such a blessing to me on multiple levels. I deeply value the opportunity for fellowship with women of various ages, backgrounds, and life stages, and I have reaped the benefits of the weekly worship and messages from our incredible teaching team. I also appreciate the accountability and structure that our study gives to my daily time with God.

This semester our group is going through Jenn Hatmaker’s study Tune In, which is about hearing the voice of God. I know that many Christians have frequent, dynamic conversations with the Lord. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I don’t know that I’ve ever audibly heard God speak to me, and it can be frustrating to feel like my talks with God are completely one-sided. However, this study is reminding me of something I’ve known—and truly believe—but often forget: just because I don’t always hear the voice of God doesn’t mean that He is silent. God speaks to us in many ways: through His creation, through other people, through Scripture and the various spiritual disciplines, and sometimes even through silence. If I don’t hear God speaking, it’s because I’m not truly listening.

The verse I’m tucking into my heart this month reminds me to be intentional about seeking God’s voice. God is longing for communication with me, and I don’t want His words to fall on deaf ears. As I endeavor to hear God speak, I’ll be keeping in mind that His words might not always be the ones I want to hear. In her book, Jenn makes this convicting statement: “If we are only after His voice as long as HE is saying what we want to hear, guess what He’s going to say? Nothing.” God is not my “yes man,” and the messages He speaks into my life might be inconvenient and even painful. But His words are true, and spoken in love. God is trustworthy, and He will never give me a message that He has not prepared me to hear. I’m excited to become more intentional about seeking His voice. . . I can’t wait to hear what He has to say!