A Glimpse – The Gambia

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.

Hearing the voice of God is a central theme throughout Scripture. From the gentle whisper to the thunderous proclamation, God’s voice guides, comforts, and instructs His people. Understanding how to hear His voice is crucial for anyone seeking to follow His will. Here are seven Bible verses that highlight the importance of hearing and recognizing God’s voice.

1. John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Jesus uses the metaphor of sheep and a shepherd to describe the relationship between Himself and His followers. Just as sheep recognize and respond to the voice of their shepherd, believers are called to recognize and follow the voice of Jesus. Hearing God’s voice is not just about recognition, but also about obedience. When we truly hear Him, we follow where He leads.

2. 1 Kings 19:11-12 – “And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”

God’s voice is not always found in the loud and dramatic. Instead, He often speaks in a “low whisper” or “still small voice.” Be still and quiet your hearts, creating space to hear the subtle yet profound voice of God. It teaches us that God often communicates in ways that require us to listen carefully and attentively.

3. Isaiah 30:21 – “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

God provides guidance, even in the midst of uncertainty. As we navigate life’s decisions, God’s voice directs us, showing us the right path. This promise of divine guidance encourages us to trust that God will speak to us when we need direction, leading us on the path He has set before us.

4. Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

In the busyness and noise of life, it can be challenging to discern God’s voice. However, by intentionally being still and acknowledging His sovereignty, we create an environment where we are more likely to hear Him speak. Stillness allows us to focus on God and tune in to His voice.

5. Hebrews 3:7-8 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.’”

Hearing God’s voice requires not only listening but also being willing to act on what we hear. A hardened heart can prevent us from fully receiving God’s message and guidance. This verse calls us to be open and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

6. Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

We are encouraged to seek God actively, knowing that He desires to reveal deep and profound truths to us. It emphasizes the relational aspect of hearing God’s voice, where we engage in dialogue with Him, confident that He will respond.

7. Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Jesus stands at the door of our hearts, knocking and speaking. The invitation is clear: if we hear His voice and open the door, He will come in and fellowship with us. This verse highlights the personal and relational aspect of God’s communication, emphasizing that hearing His voice leads to deeper communion with Him.

Conclusion

Hearing the voice of God is a profound and essential part of the Christian life. These verses remind us that God speaks in various ways—sometimes in a whisper, sometimes in guidance, and always with a heart of love. To hear His voice, we must cultivate stillness, maintain a receptive heart, and be willing to respond in faith. As we do, we draw closer to God, following His lead and growing in our relationship with Him.

Kiilaariyaa kumoo Misirankoolu la kuwo to

1 Kiilaariyaa kumoo fele Misira la kuwo to.

A juubee, Yaawe* tariyaatoo le ka naa Misira,

a ka naa niŋ saŋ tawaloo le la.

Misira jalaŋolu be jarajara la a ñaatiliŋo la le,

Misirankoolu kijoo ye teyi.

2 Yaawe ko: “M be Misirankoolu dundi la ñoo la le,

ì ye kele.

Baadimmaalu si keloo wulindi ñoo kamma,

siiñoolu ye a wulindi ñoo kamma,

saatee ye a wulindi saatee kamma,

kumandaŋ mara bankoolu ye a wulindi ñoo kamma.

3 Misirankoolu be jikilateyi la le,

ŋa ì la feeroolu ke kenseŋo ti.

Ì be taa jalaŋolu yaa le,

juubeerilaalu yaa, saabutiyolu ka taa furee kumandilaalu.

4 M be Misirankoolu duŋ na maralilaa jawoo semboo le koto,

mansa saŋarariŋo ye ì mara.”

Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo* le ye a fo.

5 Nayili Boloŋo si jaa,

baa si jaa kawu,

jii te soto la jee.

6 Jiisiloolu si sunkaŋ,

Misira la Nayili baa bolondiŋolu si yoora, ì ye jaa.

Seyiŋolu niŋ baakintoolu si noro,

7 fiifeŋolu mennu be Nayili Boloŋo daala,

aniŋ a kankuŋolu la, ì be jaa la le,

ì ye feŋ-wo-feŋ fii jee, foñoo ye a tindi,

a te tara la jee kotenke.

8 Nayili Boloŋo ñeemutalaalu si woosii,

dooliŋ fayilaalu ye sunu,

jala fayilaalu ye kori.

9 Fulakisi* kaloolu dookuulaalu si tara dewuŋo kono,

a suusaalaalu aniŋ a daarilaalu ye jikilateyi.

10 Bayi dadaalaalu si jikilateyi,

lebereesoolu niyo ye toora.

11 Sowani maralilaalu maŋ ke feŋ ti fo toolewolu.

Firawoona la moo ñaamendiŋolu ka yaamari nafantaŋo le dii.

Ì be a fo la noo Firawoona ye ñaadii le ko,

itolu mu moo ñaamendiŋolu la karandiŋolu le ti,

mansa foloolu koomalankoolu?

12 Firawoona, i la moo ñaamendiŋolu lee saayiŋ?

Ì si a yitandi i la, ì ye i kalamutandi,

Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo ye meŋ feere Misira kamma.

13 Sowani maralilaalu keta toolewolu le ti,

Memfisinkoolu la ñaatonkoolu ye ì faŋ neenee,

siyolu la maralilaalu ye Misira filindi le.

14 Yaawe ye Misirankoolu jakasindi le,

a ye a ke, ì tafal-tafalita ì kekuwolu to,

ko siiratoolu ka timili-tamali ì la foonoolu kono ñaameŋ.

15 Misira te feŋ-wo-feŋ ne ke noo la,

biriŋ kuŋo to fo feñoo to,

teŋ buloolu, ka taa baakintoolu bee.

16 Wo luŋo la Misirankoolu be muluŋ na le ko musoo, silaŋo ye duŋ ì la ka jarajara, niŋ Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo ye a buloo teeka ì kamma. 17 Yahuuda bankoo be Misirankoolu kijoo teyi la le, moo-wo-moo ye a too moyi, wo be sila la le, feŋ te fo Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo ye meŋ parendi ì kamma.

Misira be Yaawe batu la

18 Wo luŋo la, saatee luulu le be tara la Misira bankoo kaŋ, mennu be Kanaaninkoolu la kaŋo fo la, aduŋ ì kalitoo be ì faŋ dii la Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo la le. Ñinnu kono ì be kiliŋ kumandi la Tiloo la Saatewo le la.

19 Wo luŋo la, sadaabodulaa* le be tara la Yaawe ye Misira bankoo teema, samasiŋo fanaa ye tara a ye naanewo to. 20 Ì be ke la taamanseeroo niŋ seedoo le ti Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo ye, Misira bankoo kaŋ. Niŋ ì kumboota Yaawe ye, ì mantooralaalu la kuwo kamma la, a be kiisandirilaa niŋ tankandirilaa kii la ì ye le, aduŋ a be ì kiisa la le. 21 Wo to Yaawe be Misirankoolu londi la a faŋo la le, wo luŋo la, ì ye soŋ a ma. Ì be baturoo ke la niŋ beeyaŋ sadaalu* le la, aniŋ siimaŋ sadaalu, ì ye tawoo taa a ye, ì ye a muta. 22 Yaawe be Misira busa la le, bari a be muru la le ka a jaara. Ì be muru la Yaawe kaŋ ne, aduŋ a be ì lamoyi la ì la woosii kaŋo la le, a ye ì jaara.

23 Wo luŋo la, sila fanuŋo le be bo la Misira fo Asiriya. Asiriyankoolu be naa Misira, Misirankoolu ye taa Asiriya. Misirankoolu niŋ Asiriyankoolu be Alla batu la ñoo kaŋ ne. 24 Wo luŋo la, Banisirayila be Misira aniŋ Asiriya sabanjaŋ na le, ì ye ke duniyaa bee ye neemoo le ti. 25 Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo be neema la ì ma le ka a fo ko, “Neemoo be Misirankoolu ye, n na moolu, Asiriyankoolu, m faŋo ye mennu daa, aniŋ Banisirayilankoolu, m fansuŋ taalu.”

God Will Punish Egypt

1 This is a message about Egypt.

The Lord is coming to Egypt, riding swiftly on a cloud. The Egyptian idols tremble before him, and the people of Egypt lose their courage. 2 The Lord says, “I will stir up civil war in Egypt and turn brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor. Rival cities will fight each other, and rival kings will struggle for power. 3 I am going to frustrate the plans of the Egyptians and destroy their morale. They will ask their idols to help them, and they will go and consult mediums and ask the spirits of the dead for advice. 4 I will hand the Egyptians over to a tyrant, to a cruel king who will rule them. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”

5 The water will be low in the Nile, and the river will gradually dry up. 6 The channels of the river will stink as they slowly go dry. Reeds and rushes will wither, 7 and all the crops planted along the banks of the Nile will dry up and be blown away. 8 Everyone who earns a living by fishing in the Nile will groan and cry; their hooks and their nets will be useless. 9 Those who make linen cloth will be in despair; 10 weavers and skilled workers will be broken and depressed.

11 The leaders of the city of Zoan are fools! Egypt's wisest people give stupid advice! How do they dare to tell the king that they are successors to the ancient scholars and kings? 12 King of Egypt, where are those clever advisers of yours? Perhaps they can tell you what plans the Lord Almighty has for Egypt. 13 The leaders of Zoan and Memphis are fools. They were supposed to lead the nation, but they have misled it. 14 The Lord has made them give confusing advice. As a result, Egypt does everything wrong and staggers like a drunk slipping on his own vomit. 15 No one in Egypt, rich or poor, important or unknown, can offer help.

Egypt Will Worship the Lord

16 A time is coming when the people of Egypt will be as timid as women. They will tremble in terror when they see that the Lord Almighty has stretched out his hand to punish them. 17 The people of Egypt will be terrified of Judah every time they are reminded of the fate that the Lord Almighty has prepared for them.

18 When that time comes, the Hebrew language will be spoken in five Egyptian cities. The people there will take their oaths in the name of the Lord Almighty. One of the cities will be called, “City of the Sun.”

19 When that time comes, there will be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt and a stone pillar dedicated to him at the Egyptian border. 20 They will be symbols of the Lord Almighty's presence in Egypt. When the people there are oppressed and call out to the Lord for help, he will send someone to rescue them. 21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptian people, and then they will acknowledge and worship him, and bring him sacrifices and offerings. They will make solemn promises to him and do what they promise. 22 The Lord will punish the Egyptians, but then he will heal them. They will turn to him, and he will hear their prayers and heal them.

23 When that time comes, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. The people of these two countries will travel back and forth between them, and the two nations will worship together. 24 When that time comes, Israel will rank with Egypt and Assyria, and these three nations will be a blessing to all the world. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless them and say, “I will bless you, Egypt, my people; you, Assyria, whom I created; and you, Israel, my chosen people.”

Yesaya 19