Have you ever heard God's voice? That's something people ask pastors. What does God's voice sound like? When do we hear it, or how do we even know we truly have heard God's voice? Those are questions to consider when discerning what you're hearing.
Personally, I feel like I have heard God's voice. Like I've heard from many others, it wasn't an audible experience. No Morgan Freeman-like figure showed up to have a conversation with me. But there have been moments of peace and clarity that assured me what I heard was God.
That experience feels very different from how the psalmist imagines God's voice. According to Psalm 29, the Lord's voice thunders, is strong, and breaks through creation. The elements unravel when God speaks.
That's quite a vision of what it is to experience God's voice. I'm not sure how much of that we could handle. Still, the assumption is that God speaks, and a response is waiting.
For the psalmist, the response is praise. People of God use their voice to praise God for hearing the Lord's voice. Knowing that God speaks is a blessing of strength and peace for God's people.
But let's also consider this: God has already spoken. 
If we want God to say something new, is it because we didn't like what we've already known God to say? Are we hoping God will say something different?
God's voice is present at Jesus' baptism. Many Christians have debated what the voice sounded like and who, exactly, heard it. Those are natural reflections after reading the accounts. What's more important, though, is paying attention to what it is God said.
If you're struggling to hear from God, pay attention to what God has already said. Think about why God's voice shows up when Jesus is baptized. What does it mean that God’s voice speaks affirmation, love, and calling over Jesus before he has done anything public? What might you need to remember about who God says you are?
Stay blessed...john | 
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