Hearing God's Voice

   God speaks a lot.  I've told you about how much I love that we have His Word that we can always go back to, but God speaks in other ways to.  We have this great privilege of being able to talk to Him whenever we want to, and you know what?  God speaks to us a lot too.  One must depend on God's instruction a lot when living the Christian life.  I make a lot of decisions, and I analyze everything.  I analyze the decisions I'm going to make and I analyze what I have already done.  I search and seek to know whether or not I'm on the right track, and I yearn to know what God is wanting me to do, but this is where it is so hard!  It's hard to distinguish what God is saying from what my own mind is coming up with, and what lies Satan is planting.  I struggle a lot with knowing if I am pleasing God and if I am really on the right track spiritually.  I have to rely on God to tell me whether or not I'm doing okay, but Satan gets in there a lot and accuses me of wrongdoing.  In Scripture, he's called the Accuser of the Brethren.  He gives me the wrong view of where I am spiritually, but it is so hard to tell if it's him who's giving me this impression or if it's God!  It's so hard to hear God's voice sometimes. 
   Also, when making decisions whether great or small, I try to know what God would have me do (especially in the realm of dealing with people).  But, sometimes it is hard to tell what is my own desire and what is God's desire.  It's very frustrating trying to hear God's voice, trying to communicate with my Heavenly Father, when I just don't hear Him clearly.  Perhaps I try too hard to base my decision-making and my on my feelings?  Perhaps I see my spiritual life too much through the eyes of my own feelings about it?  Am I going too much off of my feelings? 
    Scripture seems to make life more simple.  I know how God wants me to live--Fear Him and keep His commandments--and I know that if I ask for wisdom in faith, God WILL give it to me (James 1:5).  Yet, there is more to a relationship than obedience and knowing His will for me, right?  I mean, I'm in a relationship with Him, which means that He speaks to me apart from Scripture.  And, it just seems like sometimes I can't hear Him very well.  Why?  I don't know.  But I know that He is doing it for a reason.    
   So, for those of you who are struggling with the intricacies of obedience and can't hear what God is telling you to do, always remember the simple verse, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for that is the sole duty of man."  And, if you are struggling with wisdom, ask for it and you will receive.  If you are struggling to have a deeper relationship with God, but just can't seem to hear Him and find it hard to discern what is from Him and what is not--I'm right here with you.  But, I know that I DO have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and that He will help me along the way and the He WILL speak to me.  The Christian life seems so complicated sometimes, as you can tell with the things I've been writing, but it is comforting that God sees it so clearly.  I get so confused when I view my spiritual life, but God isn't confused.   I see that I am lacking in so many areas (including hearing His voice), and it's frustrating and confusing, but God sees it clearly, and He will help me to have a better and deeper relationship with Him.  I don't know what else to say at this point, but for those of you who feel like you can't hear God's voice, or that your relationship with Him seems to be lacking, know that God sees it too, and that He's got it all under His sovereign control.