I’m always asking questions in my head. Sometimes they get answered and other times, they remain questions.
I am a curious person. I wonder. I guess and I ponder. I assume . . . and presume. Sometimes I think that I’ve heard the voice of God, somewhere inside, and sometimes I’m right. But sometimes I’m not.
This is one of my most-asked questions. How do I know God’s voice? How can I tell the difference between what He says and what I want Him to say?
He doesn’t fit my molds any more than my friends or family members do. I cannot control Him or presume to speak for Him. I cannot soften Him into an all-accepting, mushy, powerless God. He is not fluffy and feel-good, like junk food. But neither is He an angry God who sends down lightning bolts on sinners (if that were the case, no one is safe).
He is three persons in one. He is a contrast of justice and mercy: never one without the other. He is distant and near at the same time: far above my understanding, yet closer than anything I can touch.
God is surrounded with mystery. His likeness cannot be taken, figuratively or literally. He defies classification, and breaks out of every box humanity tries to force Him into.
I acknowledge this, but I long for an anchor. How do I answer my own question: what is the voice of God?
The clear voice is Scripture. It is the physical anchor to corral my wayward thoughts. Some Scripture is mysterious itself, and subject to a wide variety of interpretations. However, there are plenty of crystal-clear passages that I can depend on to either back up or refute the silent voices answering those questions in my head.
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).
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I Wonder as I Wander 
I can definitely relate to the ruminations you’ve presented here. You definitely echoed a variety of thoughts I’ve had myself. You’re very eloquent. I struggle as well with hearing God’s voice clearly in my heart. Oddly enough, as you mentioned, what stimulates the clearest perceptions on my part is consistent scripture reading. God gave us the book for a reason, right? But how do you sense that it’s in fact God’s voice helping you to make some personal decision? I think we pray, read, and do the best we can. Of course, as you mentioned, we don’t make right choices unilaterally. Of course, in retrospect, it’s so much easier to see how you were either sensible or misguided and how the Lord was at work in you. At least that’s how I feel much of the time. Please keep writing. Your thoughts are resonant and refreshing.
I enjoyed reading your blog Jessica, and I agree, God’s word is the anchor for our thoughts. It’s the main way he speaks to us. I see you have a love for writing like your Gran!!
Rachel
When I was much, much younger, I struggled with that question myself. The answer I received was very much the same: He would never tell me to do anything contrary to what was already written in the Scriptures.