Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)  -- And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Everyone has an inner voice. From the time we are children to adulthood, we hear this inner voice that either says we should do a certain thing or not do a certain thing. I remember hearing that inner voice lead me to go pray for a woman that I had no idea about anything in her life. But when I asked if I could pray for her, she broke down crying and said she had been struggling mightily with direction in her life and praying for the Lord to give her answers. That inner voice, or conscience, is given by God. In fact, the inner voice should be the Holy Spirit of God leading us as His people. 

Our text today reminds us that the Lord promises to give us a conscience that hears the Lord and knows His ways. Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” The passage is not talking about hearing a literal voice behind us with our physical ears. This “word” we hear is the conscience, the inner voice the Lord uses to guide us. The ears we hear with are the “ears of our heart” that teach us the ways and will of the Lord. 

Notice the voice says, “This is the way, walk in it.” Whether you turn to the right or to the left, that voice will guide you if you listen. The Lord cares about our lives. How we live matters to God. We are not free to chart our own course and navigate our own lives. The Lord has a standard. How do we know that standard? One, He has revealed it to us through His Word. This is why we should study the Scriptures. Second, He has revealed it through that inner voice. Our consciences will lead us in the ways of the Lord if we learn to heed the voice. 

Nobody has an excuse. We can’t say we didn’t know what the Lord expects of us. Instead, we need to tune our hearts to hear His voice. We should follow as the Lord leads us, always measuring what we hear against God’s Word, so we don’t mistake hearing the voice of the Lord with our own selfish desires. There is a way God expects of us. Walk in it.

Reflection & Journal: 
- What is the biggest danger with following our inner voice?
- How do we guard against the danger of following our own voice instead of God’s?
- Why is it important to realize God speaks to us through our consciences?

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