The Voice of the Nature of God

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ’Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ —Isaiah 6:8

When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us.The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.

The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.

---

神本性的呼聲

我又聽見主的聲音，說，我可以差遣誰呢？ （賽六8） 說到神的呼召，我們很容易忘記一件最重要的事：就是呼召者的本性。海有海的呼聲，山有山的呼聲，冰山有冰山的呼聲；這些呼聲只有少數人聽見。呼聲是事物本性的一種表現，必須有同樣的性情才能接收那呼聲。神的呼召是神本性的流露，而不是我們的。神的呼聲中，有好些線路是預定給我們用的，所以我們才認得那聲 音。神的聲音透過那線路來呼召我們，別人是呼不出來的。在某些特別的事上，與人磋商斟酌是無濟於事，我們必須保持與神的密切關係。 

神的呼召不是我們本性的反響；我的喜好傾向與個性，也渺不相涉。如果只一直注視自己的個性，想看自己到底適合做什 麼，那將永遠聽不見神的呼召。但當我與神深交，就落在以賽亞的情景裡了。以賽亞的心靈因經歷了重大的事件，與神密切貼近，他驚異的心靈就錄下了神呼喚的聲 音。我們多半只用耳朵聽自己，神所說的，一點也聽不進去。我們若一旦進入神呼召的音城裡，必然徹底改變。 

祈禱◆[讓我聽見你的聲音]——這是我的祈禱。我極其盼望去聆聽你、去感覺你，被你的同在所震撼。