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Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; –Isaiah 55:3
Does God talk to us? This is a question many people ask constantly. The answer, found throughout the Bible and in lives today, is a powerful yes. God still speaks. The challenge for us is to learn how to better listen to God. Virginia Metzler’s book, Our God Still Speaks, is filled with true stories that prove this.
From the jungles of Africa to the mountains of the Philippines, she shows how ordinary people can hear God’s guidance.
Learning to better listen to God isn’t just for missionaries. It is for everyone who wants a closer walk with Him.
Believing that He Still Speaks
You cannot hear someone you don’t believe is talking. Therefore, the first step to better listening to God is to believe with all your heart that He wants to communicate with you.
Virginia starts her book with this clear truth: “The fact that God still speaks today is undeniable. This book is proof of that.”
God is not silent.
He spoke in Biblical times, and He has not changed. He speaks through His Word, the Bible, through His Holy Spirit in our hearts, through other believers, and through the circumstances of our daily lives.
When you start your day believing God has something to say to you, you begin to tune your heart to His frequency.
Learn to better listen to God.
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Create Quiet to Catch His Whisper
Our world is very loud. TVs, phones, busy schedules, and worries have filled our minds with near-endless noise, but God often speaks in a “sound of a gentle blowing” (1 Kings 19:12). Thus, to hear Him, we must stay quiet. Virginia learned this while in the Philippines. “In a world that clamors for ALL of our attention, there must be a time to be quiet and still so that we are able to see Him at work around us.”
You don’t need to move to a mountain hut to hear His voice, but you do need to find a daily time of quiet. Turn off the screens. Sit alone with your Bible. Let your mind settle. This quiet time is not about you doing all the talking. It is about making space to better listen to God.
As Virginia prayed, “Open my eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.”
Tuning In to God’s Will in Everyday Life
God doesn’t only speak in church. He speaks in your kitchen, your car, and your workplace. Everywhere that is possible for you to find yourself in, He is there, simply waiting for you.
Tuning in to God’s will means looking for His hand in the everyday moments.
For Virginia, a bookstore sign for Spanish lessons seemed random, but she soon came to know that that lesson led her to a friend who needed Jesus and prepared her for future work in the Philippines. “When God places a ‘yen’ in [her] heart to do or to learn something, it is ALWAYS for a good reason.”
To better listen to God, pay attention to the gentle “nudges” you feel.
A nudge to call a friend, to help a neighbor, to turn off a bad show, to read a particular Bible passage.
These are often God’s way of directing you.
Obey the small nudges, and you will find yourself more attuned to His will.
Discerning God’s Direction in Hard Times
Sometimes, God’s voice is hardest to hear when we are in great turmoil. Yet, this is the time when we need His voice the most.
Discerning God’s direction amid chaos requires a faith that is actively embodied.
When Virginia’s first husband, Tommy, died in a plane crash, her world was shattered. In her sorrow, she was reminded of her mother's words: “God will never give you more than you can bear.”
This was a whispered truth that gave her strength to take the next breath, and Virginia learned that “God is trustworthy. God is faithful. God is fair. BELIEVE it! It is true!”
Clinging to this truth helps you discern His direction, even when the path is dark.
God’s Call Clearly Through Scripture
The most reliable way to hear God is through His written Word. The Bible is His primary microphone. Therefore, hearing God’s call is clearest when we read it regularly.
God will use verses you’ve read many times to suddenly speak directly to your current situation.
Virginia and Les leaned on promises like Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Make Bible reading a daily habit. Don’t just read for information; read for conversation.
Ask, “God, what are you saying to me today through this?”
Write down verses that stand out to you, especially in times of great emotion. His Word is a lamp for your feet, showing you the very next step. The more you know His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and better listen to God when He speaks.
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Trust His Timing and His Methods
God’s ways are not our ways. To better listen to God, we must let go of our expectations for how and when He will answer. Virginia wanted to go to a jungle camp in Mexico, but God canceled those plans and sent her to the Philippines instead. His plan was better, though it seemed strange at first.
She learned that “His ways surprised, blessed AND delighted us.”
Sometimes God’s guidance is a clear yes or no. Often, it’s a “wait” or a “trust me.”
The peace He gives in your heart can be a sign. If you feel turmoil and confusion, it may not be the right time or path. Wait for His peace.
As you learn to trust His timing, you will find that He is never late. His guidance is perfect.
I will lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will turn darkness into light before them
And uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will not leave them undone.”
– Isaiah 42:16
Be acquainted with the powerful, true testimonies in Virginia Stewart Metzler’s book, Our God Still Speaks: Real-Life Stories of How God Answers Prayers.
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