Listen to the Voice of God, Not the Voices of Doubt

“It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet see.” Hebrews 11:7 (NCV)

Voices of doubt will try to dissuade, detour, and derail me from my purpose in life. I must listen to the voice of God, not the voices of doubt.

Imagine Noah’s life—building a battleship-sized ark in his front yard while everyone else carried on with their lives. His neighbors must have thought he was crazy. “What’s this guy doing? Building the Queen Mary in his yard? Where’s the homeowner’s association?”

Even Noah’s family probably questioned him.

His sons might have said, “Dad, the ark is embarrassing. Why can’t you get a normal job? Everyone’s laughing at us!”

Could you endure that kind of ridicule? Noah did, for decades, with no encouragement. But he listened to God, not the doubters.

Dream busters will always show up in life. Critics, cynics, and even loved ones may question my God-given vision. Often, they’re wrong. 

But the biggest dream buster is often myself. The words I speak to myself matter. If I talked to my friends the way I talk to myself—saying things like, “I’m no good,” “I should’ve known better,” or “I’ll never succeed”—I wouldn’t have any friends.

The truth is, we lie to ourselves all the time. The Bible says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). We convince ourselves things are fine when they’re not, or hopeless when they’re not. That’s why I must listen to God—because he always tells the truth.

Hebrews 11:7 says, “It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet see” (NCV).

Notice the word “heard.” Noah trusted what he heard from God, even though he couldn’t see the future. Similarly, I can’t see my future, but I must trust God. His Word is my guide. Faith is believing in what I can’t see—my destiny and my eternal future.

The Bible says, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT). 

Focus on what lasts forever, not on temporary troubles. Noah’s faith was counter-cultural, standing against the disbelief around him. How did he maintain such faith? He heard God.

You might say, “I don’t hear God!” The solution? Get closer to him.

The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Turn off distractions. Sit quietly. Pray.

Only when I draw near to God can I truly hear his voice. Listen, and follow him. “Noah . . . walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9 NIV).

In summary:

Faith requires trusting God's guidance, even when faced with doubt and ridicule. Like Noah, who built an ark despite mockery, we must focus on God's voice and not the negative voices around us. Doubters, including ourselves, can hinder our dreams, but by listening to God’s truth, we can persevere. Faith is believing in what we can't yet see, and to hear God clearly, we need to quiet distractions and draw near to Him. Trusting God's direction will help us stay focused on what truly matters—our eternal purpose.