Hearing the Voice of God

I heard God's voice today. It was clear. It was powerful. It was Genesis chapters 20-25, Psalm 32 and Hebrews 4:7-12. I have a lot of issues but praise God He speaks to me every day through His Word and He is changing me daily into conformity to Christ. I seek His guidance and will. But I have noticed an error of scary proportions among Christians who want a personal experience of God "more" than daily fellowship with God by His Spirit through His Word and prayer. They seek an emotional feeling, an experience that makes them feel closer to God. Many are sincerely seeking and sincerely wrong. What they seek is a special 'word' just for them. I understand, I want that too. They want to 'hear' His voice. Me too. But sometimes I find that we don't mean the same thing. We all want to be led by God (Ps. 32:8) and we seek His direction. But what if the 'word' they receive contradicts Scripture? What comes forth can sound a bit gnostic at times - "I have secret knowledge from God that you don't have, therefore I must be really walking in the Spirit". I praise God they seek a word from Him but grieve over teaching that contradicts Scripture or causes beleivers to feel "less than". God absolutely leads us. He does so by His Spirit, through His Word. But people bypass the Word in search of an emotion-driven experience. God works in mysterious ways and we cannot put Him in a box. He enables our trust and obedience. His provision is sufficient, not deficient. So why seek something 'more' than what His gracious, overflowing grace has already provides? Here is what I have found: Some people are so fixated on 'hearing the voice of God' that they get bizarrely wierded-out in mystical imaginings, all the while missing the true voice of God. They begin to hear things that God isn't saying. Maybe it's their mind playing tricks on them. Maybe it is the world infiltrating their thoughts. Or worse, maybe it is the devil decieving them. Test it: does it jive with, walk in lockstep with, line up with, the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God? If not, reject it and run to the true source. God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, including His Word. Don't be so fixated on hearing a voice that you look in the wrong place and miss the living and abiding Word of God - His true voice. By the way, I have not run into this error recently. Nothing specific set me off. I was just reminded again today that the Word of God is totally sufficient. Our only rule for faith and practice. As the Grace Brethren say, "the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible" (the God and Savior it reveals, the teachings it contains)is what our faith and hope should be built on. Our rule for faith and practice. Jesus Christ is our adequacy. His Word will stand forever. See the following Scriptures: Isaiah 40:8; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16. Then take a long look at Hebrews 4:7-12. Do you see the tie in between verses 7 and 12?