Hearing God in the Still Small Voice

So, let's get into it. God doesn't usually shout. He witnesses. Most of the time, the Holy Spirit speaks in a way that's gentle but sure — not chaotic, not shaming, and not manipulative. Here are some cues to keep in mind.

One: inner witness, peace check. “I just know.” Colossians talks about letting the peace of God rule. That peace is often the umpire.

Conviction versus condemnation: conviction would say, “Come closer, let's fix this.” Condemnation would say, “You're trash, go away.” That's not God.

Holy nudges: “Call her.” “Don't post that.” “Give.” Never out of line with Scripture. The Spirit and the Word agree always. These are things to keep in mind.

For example, if what you heard makes you love Jesus more, love people more, and walk in truth, good sign it's God. So that's the truth.

Now, let's talk about when someone else says they heard God, but it doesn't sit right. When a friend says, “God told me,” but things are off. You're allowed to test what people say, even spiritual people. Sometimes we have friends who sound very spiritual. They dream. They have revelations. They speak the language, etc. And then one day, they bring us something that just doesn't match the heart of God. You might even go to the Word and see the opposite.

So recently, a friend of 30 years came to me with a revelation from God, which didn't sit well with me. It didn't feel like… it was actually so exclusive and troubling. And when I went to the Bible, I kept finding verses that showed God's kingdom is wide, not narrow. What I mean by that is that His kingdom encompasses many. However, the path is narrow in the sense that we follow His rule and we follow His ways.

Here are a few verses to reference:

John 3:16 — “whosoever.” For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:6 — Jesus is the way, not ethnicity. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Romans 10:9–10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” So, we're saved through belief and confession.

Lastly, Matthew 8:11 — people coming from east and west into the kingdom: “Many shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” This verse shows that many who are not of Abraham's seed will be saved.

So when someone's word from God starts tearing you down more than building you up in Christ, you can stop receiving from that person.

Here are some tools to possibly discern the differences:

One, does it exalt Jesus or the person sharing it?
Two, does it produce the fruit of the Spirit — love, peace, gentleness (Galatians 5)?
Three, does it line up with the whole Bible, not just one verse?
Four, can it be questioned without being labelled rebellious? If the answer is no, that's not healthy spiritual leadership.

So what do you do with conflicting messages? Let's make it super practical. How to make sense of it all. God is not the author of confusion, so we slow down. Here's a simple process you can use anytime someone says, “God told me,” and you're not sure.

One, take it to God first. “Lord, if this is You, confirm it. If it's not, remove it.”
Two, go to the Word. God won't contradict Himself.
Three, listen for peace. If your spirit is heavy, anxious, or pulled, then pause.
Four: check with mature believers—not hype people, grounded people.
Five, give it time. Truth stands. Deception needs urgency.

And sometimes, even after all that, you realize this relationship is no longer safe. Know when to walk away. Guarding your heart is spiritual.

In my situation, it got to the point where the other person said basically, “I'm right, you're wrong, don't respond.” That right there tells you one thing: they weren't looking for unity — they were looking for compliance. So this person basically cut me off because I wanted to go to God myself. That relationship was already conditional.

You have to remember: you are allowed to walk away in peace. You're allowed to say, “I love you, but I won't submit to spiritual manipulation.” You are permitted to choose truth and sanity. Proverbs 4:23 says…

So here's what I want you to take away from today. You can hear God. The Holy Spirit will teach you how He talks to you. Not every “God told me” is for you. And you don't have to stay in a relationship that uses God's name to control you.

If you belong to Jesus, He knows how to lead you.

Share this episode with a friend who's been confused by “God told me” people. And if you want more of this kind of real talk. This was Lost in Translation, Episode 2. Thanks for spending time with me.

Stay in the Word. Stay in peace. Listen for the still, small voice.