Questions and Answers | To Live is Christ

The short answer is no. Not being able to hear God’s voice does not mean you no longer have the Holy Spirit in you. If you are a child of God and if you have received salvation from your sin through His death and resurrection, you are permanently His and the Holy Spirit remains in you. This relationship, established with your conversion, is not over because you do not feel God’s presence.

I don’t know how you experienced God’s voice, but it is important to remember that while the Holy Spirit can impress upon us to do certain things or to keep from doing others, God also speaks to us through Scripture. As we read and learn and meditate on God’s Word, we hear the promptings of the Spirit.

Furthermore, if you’ve confessed your refusal to listen to the Spirit’s voice, you are forgiven! You don’t have to search for God’s voice; He is with you, and He speaks to you through His Word and through strong Christians who confirm that Word as you live in community. Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), we believe He dwells in us by faith, not by something we feel. One great Christian leader wrote, “The day God is absent, when He is silent—that is the beginning of prayer.”

Your question might provoke an even more basic one: Does God need anything? No, He doesn’t. He is perfect, sinless, holy, complete. He lacks nothing. Christians often talk about faith as a relationship, not a religious obligation. And, in a relationship, both parties participate. We might ask, “What can we possibly give to God that He doesn’t already have?”

The glory of God has been described as His greatness, beauty, perfection, magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur. There is nothing any human being can do to increase God’s glory. But the Scriptures certainly speak of glorifying God as something we can do.

We’re encouraged to “ascribe” (recognize, acknowledge, attribute) to the Lord the glory that He deserves (Ps. 29:1). We’re told that the nations will “bring glory” to His name (Ps. 86:9). And we’re told that He created us for His glory (Isa. 43:7). The theme of giving glory to God continues in the New Testament. When we “bear fruit,” we bring glory to the Father (John 15:8). Jesus’ finished work on the cross brought glory to God (John 17:4). Both Paul and Peter ascribe glory to God in their letters. And the book of Revelation depicts the mysterious “living creatures” of heaven giving Him glory (Rev. 4:9).

God needs nothing. Yet, His Word tells us we can give Him honor, praise, and even glory. Giving God glory and acknowledging His holiness doesn’t fulfill any need in Him. But it does do something for us; it turns our attention to a perfect God and proclaims our recognition of and gratitude for His perfect Son.

Different generations have different perspectives on physical pain. Some were raised to downplay pain as much as possible. They didn’t want to appear weak in any way. But our bodies are unique, and people tolerate pain differently based on age, fitness, gender, childhood trauma, immune system, and more.

The Bible does contain stories of people who suffered physical and mental anguish. The book of Job, for example, explores the pain of one single individual. In many ways Job’s life ground to a halt as he struggled with and questioned his pain and suffering. It is clear that Job did not power through as though nothing was happening.

Healthcare workers tell us that pain can be your body’s way of crying out, “Help me!” God designed our bodies perfectly, and it can be dangerous to ignore or dismiss these warning signs. We can also turn to God, the great Physician, who knows us intimately, gives us strength to endure life’s trials, and is able to heal if He chooses