011 Trusting God: Learning to Listen Beyond the Noise

Trusting God: Learning to Listen Beyond the Noise

I want to explain something foundational to hearing God’s voice. I remember the first time I sat down, fully committed to asking God to speak to me. I was ready. I had my laptop open, fingers poised over the keys. I wanted something grand—a powerful, dramatic encounter. I was hoping for a clear vision, a “3, 5, and 10-year plan” that I could type out as fast as He dictated it to me.

But instead, I got silence.

And honestly, I could almost hear God laughing—not in a mocking way, but a tender, oh-this-is-adorable kind of way. I imagine Him watching me like a loving Father, asking, “What are you doing, Richard?”

I was exasperated. “Lord, I’m asking You to tell me what to write! I’m ready to hear Your plans!”

And then He spoke. Two simple words: “Trust me.”

At first, I thought, Surely there’s more than that. “Trust me? That’s it? What else, Lord?”

But again, I heard, “Trust me.”

Why Trust?

At the time, I didn’t fully understand it. I had degrees. I had experience. I had worked at a large, well-respected church. Opportunities were lined up. Churches were offering me jobs, telling me to write my own job description. Some even said, “If the salary isn’t enough, just tell us how much you want!”

I was at a crossroads with all these doors wide open, and God was saying, “Trust me.” Not “take this position” or “here’s your roadmap”—just “trust me.”

And I didn’t like it. I wrestled with God. I threw scripture back at Him: “If a man doesn’t work, he’s worse than an infidel!” (1 Timothy 5:8). I had every reason to argue that what I was hearing made no sense.

But God wouldn’t relent. He told me to trust Him with my finances, my future, my very life. And trust Him, I did. For three years, I had no title, no position, no job. I turned down every opportunity because God asked me to. Every step felt uncertain, and honestly, I wondered more than once if I’d lost my mind.

To my surprise, my wife—who I thought would struggle with this even more than I did—was completely on board. “I knew that’s what God wanted,” she said. “I was just hoping you’d listen.”

Be With Me

After I finally surrendered to trusting Him, I asked again, “Okay, Lord, now what? What do You want me to do?”

And He said, “Be with me.”

That’s it. Be with me.

At first, I didn’t get it. I kept asking, “But what do You want me to do? I’m sitting here. It’s quiet. There’s no one else around. What do You want from me?”

And the answer was still, “Be with me.”

It was uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to quiet. I wasn’t used to just being. I wanted tasks, action, something measurable to accomplish. But all He asked was for me to be with Him.

Learning to Abide

It finally clicked. God wasn’t asking me to perform or produce. He was asking me to abide.

In John 15:5, Jesus says:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

God wasn’t withholding His plans from me; He was inviting me into something deeper. He was teaching me to abide, to trust, and to listen—not just with my ears, but with my spirit.

The Birth of Fruit

During that time of just “being” with God, something incredible happened. Out of the quiet, out of the stillness, He began to birth things in my life that I could have never accomplished on my own.

One of those things was the God Speaks Bible.

At the time, I didn’t set out to write a Bible or create something that would impact so many people. What started as my quiet time—a simple act of listening to God—became something far greater than I could have planned. Each morning, as I sat with God and listened, He revealed Himself in ways I’d never seen before. And as I abided in Him, fruit began to grow.

Learning to Listen

Here’s what I learned in that season:

God doesn’t always give us what we want; He gives us what we need. I wanted the 10-year plan, but what I needed was to learn to trust Him.

God values being over doing. In a world that celebrates accomplishments, God celebrates intimacy.

Abiding in Him produces fruit. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. When we remain connected to Him, the fruit comes naturally.

The Power of “Be Still”

Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is simply be still. Sit in the quiet. Set aside our agendas, our plans, and our need for control. Trust that He is God, and He knows what He’s doing.

Trust Him Today

If you’re asking God to speak to you and all you hear is “trust me,” take heart. He’s not ignoring you. He’s inviting you into something deeper. Maybe He’s not ready to give you the roadmap because first, He wants you to learn how to trust Him.

Maybe, like me, He’s simply asking you to be with Him.

It may not feel productive. It may not look impressive. But it’s in that stillness that God does His greatest work in us and through us.

Don’t rush the process. Don’t fight the quiet. Just listen. Trust Him.

And watch what He begins to birth in your life.