The Liam Neeson Experience

As I had my quiet time early this morning, one of our dogs came and lay right up against my leg and rested his head on my knee.  Laying my hand on his body and feeling his warmth and soft fur somehow reminded me of a scene from the movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when Lucy placed her hand upon Aslan and ran her fingers through his mane.  My mind then wandered to the voice of Aslan, which was actor Liam Neeson’s.

Perhaps it comes from the many years I spent working in radio, but I often find myself thinking about voices—the tone, the resonance, and how intimately each voice is associated with the person.  Certain voices are instantly recognizable—those of James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson are certainly at the top of the list.   

And yet as recognizable as they are, I realize that recognition doesn't translate into relationship.  I can look up facts and statistics about these actors.  I can watch them play roles of all sorts.  I could find articles and interviews where they talk about themselves.  However, I will never know them.

This realization got me contemplating the voice of God.  In recent years I've really been trying to learn and distinguish God's voice.  I don't want just surface recognition.  I don't want a Liam Neeson experience, hearing and recognizing His voice but not knowing Him.

God is more than a character in stories or an actor in the movie of life.  He doesn’t need or want a fan club or social following.  He wants relationships.  While it’s true that He is both awesome and beyond our understanding, He is at the same time deeply personal, desiring intimacy with each of us.

I ask you, as I contemplate my own answers to these questions: Do you recognize God's voice? And if so, is it a voice you know deeply, personally, or is it on the same level as the voices of Liam Neeson or James Earl Jones?

I want God involved in every aspect of my life.  I want Him in my times of joy and times of sorrow, in my marriage and parenting and working.  I want His voice speaking into my hopes and fears.  I want His voice to be the first thing I hear each morning and the soundtrack to my day.  I will not be satisfied merely to recognize His voice and associate it with a role He once played.

I want to experience a closeness with Him akin to running my hands through Aslan's mane or feeling His warmth and closeness as I read His words.  And I purpose to be still and to learn the details of His character.

So, speak to us Lord, and let Your voice transform our knowledge of you.