The thought of using a drive-through at a fast-food restaurant sends chills down my spine. Maybe I’m afflicted with VFTS—that is, ‘voice from the sky syndrome.’ April can verify I avoid drive-throughs as much as I avoid dentists.
Recently, a rush issue forced me to use the drive-through at Wendy’s. April wasn’t with me, but she always orders the same items: junior hamburger with only catsup, small fries, and a small Coke. Easy enough.
My heart pounded as I inched my pickup towards the box from which the ‘voice from the sky’ comes. Finally, I arrived. I breathed deeply.
“Welcome to Wendy’s. How can I help you?”
I could handle this. “I want a junior burger with only catsup and small fries.”
“What kind?” came the Voice, like thunder from a mountain top.
Panic mode hit instantly. Bells and whistles rang in my head. “Kind? There’s a kind?” I answered. Should I call 9-1-1?
“Yes, is that with cheese or without cheese?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Easy. No cheese.
“What would you like for a drink?” Again easy. “A small Coke.” I felt tension melt away.
“Would you like to upgrade to a number one?”
Tornado sirens! What’s a number one? I panicked. I couldn’t remember the number for 9-1-1. Somehow, a weak whisper squeaked out, “I don’t know what a number one is.”
“Look on the board, sir.” The board! How did I miss that? Fearful of lightning bolts flying at me if I didn’t hurry, I scanned #1. Number one was definitely not a junior burger with catsup and small fries. Or was it? I couldn’t tell. “Uhhhhhhhh, can I just have a regular junior burger with only catsup and small fries? And a small coke?”
Hoping for the best, I crossed my fingers. I wiped sweat from my brow.
“Certainly. That will be ____. Please pay at the first window.”
I didn’t put the amount because I can’t remember it. It’s all a daze. It’s possible I paid $379.86 for a junior burger with only catsup, small fries and a small Coke.
As I think back to this edge-of-the-cliff moment in my life, I wonder how I would react if God spoke to me from heaven. My pondering is short because I don’t believe He speaks like that to us.
No need exists for Him to speak like that for two reasons. First, John 14:26 provides one reason the Holy Spirit came to us: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that said to you.”
This is a promise directed to the twelve apostles. It’s why we can trust the writings of the apostles—the Holy Spirit directed every word of those writings, which ultimately became the Gospel, for the benefit of the world.
Therefore, He has provided us His complete, inerrant, relevant Word which He describes as ‘living and active.’ (Hebrews 4:12) Everything we need to know about Him and to hear from Him can be found in His vibrant Word. There’s no need for Him to say, “I best tell Dan Ashton a few things. Think I’ll use the voice of a donkey.” (See Numbers 22:28)
In addition, those ‘teachings’ and ‘remembrances’ can be ours as well. Not because we’re adding new Scripture to the Gospel. Perish the thought! But as we learn more of the Scripture, we’ll discover all kinds of daily applications. Remembrances of His Word will enter our minds during situations in our lives.
The Voice from the box at Wendy’s freaks me out. I don’t know that voice. I don’t know what that voice might say. I certainly don’t trust that voice. But I know the voice of my God through His Word. We know what He desires to tell us through His Word. We also have the Holy Spirit to guide us through His Word.
Otherwise, in order to hear how God would guide us, we would only have one option: Wait for His Voice from the sky. Truly not a logical expectation.