When You Can’t Hear God’s Voice, Remember He Hasn’t Left

I watched a TikTok video the other day, and I have been thinking about it all week long. I don’t even know if the story was true, but the lesson behind it sure was.

And isn’t that how the Lord works sometimes? Something little pops up while you’re scrolling, and the next thing you know, He is tapping you on the shoulder saying, “Pay attention, this one is for you.”

The video was about a father and his young daughter who went on a retreat with several other parent-child duos. Before the exercise began, the instructor told the father there were three rules his daughter needed to know by heart.

1. Listen for my voice.
2. I will never leave you.
3. You can ask me anything.

Those are good rules for a child walking through the woods blindfolded, but the more I thought about them, the more I realized they are pretty good rules for us as believers, too.

Because let’s be honest, Gurls, there are plenty of times in life when we feel like we are walking blindfolded through the woods. We don’t know which way to turn. We can’t see what is ahead. We think we are on the right path, and then suddenly we find ourselves standing knee-deep in a ditch wondering how in the world we got there.

And half the time, we never even asked for help.

Listen For My Voice

The retreat exercise started out smoothly. The children were blindfolded, and the fathers were allowed to guide them with their voices. The father would tell his daughter when to step forward, when to stop, when to turn, and which direction to go.

As long as she could hear her father’s voice and followed his instructions, she was fine.

John 10:27 (NIV)
²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

That verse is short, but goodness, it says a lot. Jesus says His sheep listen to His voice, He knows them, and they follow Him.

Notice it doesn’t say His sheep hear every voice and follow whichever one sounds the loudest. That would be a disaster, wouldn’t it? Although, if I’m being honest, I have followed a few loud voices in my life that I should have ignored. Haven’t we all?

The world is loud. Opinions are loud. Fear is loud. Social media is loud. Even our own thoughts can be loud, especially at 2:00 in the morning when our brains decide it is the perfect time to solve every problem we’ve ever had since 1984.

But God’s voice is steady. He doesn’t panic. He doesn’t confuse us. He doesn’t lead us in circles just to watch us struggle.

The problem is not that God has stopped speaking. Many times, the problem is that we have stopped listening.

When You Stop Listening, It Is Easy To Get Turned Around

In the video, the instructor made the exercise more difficult. He motioned to the fathers that they could no longer speak unless their child asked them to.

That is when everything changed. The little girl could no longer hear her father’s directions. She started going the wrong way. She made the wrong turns. She got confused. And the whole time, her father was right beside her, watching and wanting to help.

But she never asked. That part got me.

How many times have I done the same thing with the Lord? I will pray about the big things, but then I’ll try to handle the daily decisions on my own. I’ll ask Him to bless my plans, but I don’t always ask Him if those plans are His will in the first place. That’s a big difference, and sometimes it’s the difference between a clear path and a ditch.

We can get so busy trying to figure everything out that we forget to ask the One who already knows the way.

And bless our hearts, we can be stubborn. I don’t know about you, but I have had more than one moment when I imagine the Lord looking at me the way I look at Lucy when she is sniffing all over the kitchen for the treat that is literally beside her paw. It is right there, girl. Just look down.

Not Every Voice Is God’s Voice

Then the instructor stepped in and asked the little girl if she wanted help. Her father was standing nearby, shaking his head no, but because she couldn’t see him, she said yes.

The instructor deliberately gave her bad directions. He told her to go the wrong way, and before long, she ended up in a ditch.

Matthew 7:15 (NIV)
¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

That verse warns us to watch out for false prophets, people who may look harmless or sound convincing, but are not leading us toward truth.

That is such an important reminder. Not every voice that offers direction is from God. Not every “helpful” opinion is helpful. Not every open door is one we are supposed to walk through. Not every person who sounds spiritual is speaking truth.

That is why we need discernment.

The little girl accepted help from someone who was not her father, and it led her straight into trouble. We can do the same thing when we let the wrong voices guide us. Sometimes those voices come from other people, even ones we know. Sometimes they come from culture. Sometimes they come from fear, pride, insecurity, or impatience.

And sometimes, the voice we most need to be careful with is our own. I can talk myself into just about anything if I try hard enough. “This is probably fine.” “I deserve this.” “It’s not that big of a deal.” “I’ll fix it later.” Famous last words, right?

I Will Never Leave You

Finally, the instructor asked the little girl if she was lost. She nodded yes. Then he asked if she remembered the rules her father had given her. She got quiet.

Then she asked, “Are you here, Dad?”

Can you imagine that father? Standing right there the whole time. Watching her stumble. Watching her listen to the wrong voice. Waiting for her to remember what he had told her from the beginning.

He answered, “Yes, I have never left your side.” That part makes me tear up. Because that is the heart of our Heavenly Father.

Even when we can’t hear Him clearly, He hasn’t left. Even when we wander, He is near. Even when we make the wrong turn, He doesn’t throw up His hands and say, “Well, good luck with that.” He stays.

There are seasons when God feels quiet, but quiet does not mean absent. There are times when we don’t understand what He is doing, but confusion does not mean He has abandoned us.

That little girl thought she was alone because she couldn’t hear her father’s voice. But he had been beside her the entire time.

You Can Ask Me Anything

Once the little girl realized her father was there, she asked, “Can you help me with the directions?” And of course, he said yes.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

God invites us to call to Him. Not as a last resort. Not after we have tried everything else. Not only when we are desperate and standing in the ditch. He invites us to ask Him.

That sounds so simple, but I think a lot of us struggle with it. We don’t want to bother God with small things. We think we should already know what to do. We assume He is too busy with bigger problems. But that is not the heart of a loving Father.

A good father wants his child to ask. A good father wants to guide, protect, and help. And our Heavenly Father is better than the best earthly father we can imagine.

We can ask Him for wisdom.
We can ask Him for direction.
We can ask Him for peace.
We can ask Him to show us the next step.
We can even ask Him to help us want the right thing.

And when we ask, we need to be willing to listen. That may be the hardest part.

The Three Rules We Need To Remember

I keep coming back to those three rules from the video.

Listen for my voice.
I will never leave you.
You can ask me anything.

What a beautiful picture of how we are called to walk with God.

We need to learn His voice through prayer, Scripture, and time with Him. We need to remember that He is with us, even when we feel alone. And we need to ask Him for help before we go charging ahead on our own.

Because the truth is, life can feel like walking through the woods blindfolded. We don’t always see the danger. We don’t always know which path is best. We don’t always recognize the wrong voice until we are already in the ditch.

But God is not far away.

He is close enough to guide us.
Close enough to hear us.
Close enough to answer when we say, “Are You here, Father?”

And His answer is always, “Yes. I have never left your side.”

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!

Let’s End With A Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for being near, even in the moments when we feel lost or unsure. Help us learn to recognize Your voice above every other voice trying to get our attention. Give us wisdom to know when something is not from You, and give us the courage to stop, listen, and ask for Your help. Forgive us for the times we try to figure everything out on our own. Remind us that You have never left our side, and teach us to trust Your directions, one step at a time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.