I remember when I began to learn that many, if not most, Christians that I met could not confidently say that they discerned God speaking to them. My conversion was so very radical and my calling into ministry was equally defined in clarity to me. I heard God speak. To this day I believe that He speaks constantly to His children but it seems a very elusive thing to many who believe Him to be their Father. When I think about this it breaks my heart in compassion for those who believe in His theological fatherhood but never sense the experience of His personal paternal guidance. To conclude that God has a theoretical voice would be the ultimate mockery to my faith. No, friends, God speaks even to this very moment. He is a Communicator and has never sought to hide Himself in indifference to His seeking child.
“Today, if you will Hear His voice…” – Psalm 95:7
He speaks truth to you. He’s guiding you into understanding what is true and what is counterfeit. He highlights His own promises through His Word and ordains blessing for your trust in those promises. God speaks warning to you concerning the lies of your generation and He exposes the strategies of Satan so that you will never be among those who fall prey. He titled His own Son “the Word” so that we could not possibly think that we serve a sullen God, unwilling to speak to us who so desperately need His voice.
He speaks love to you. We, so unworthy and pitifully ignorant of His lavish love, are made to be objects of its blazing intensity. He tells you that He chose you before the universe ever was. He ordained that His own would spend eternity as undeniable recipients of redeeming love. He loved us when all we could say of ourselves was that we were enemies. He loved us when our sin predominantly characterized us in the dark dungeon of self-will. He brought us up with a mighty hand and cleansed us to the very core of our souls. He has spoken unconditional love to us during our pilgrimage of faith when we have transgressed against Him more times than we could number. He speaks love when we are predisposed to hear only accusation. He speaks love which is co-mingled with incomprehensible delight. When we are prone to hate our sin so greatly that we end up hating ourselves, He will not allow us to proceed any further without reminding us that we are forbidden to hate what He loves. And He loves you.
He speaks hope to you in a world that offers none of its own. Amid political posturing, sickness and war, economic collapse and relational woes, heresy and blasphemy and sinful scandals…God has declared with authority that we must abide in hope. Our hope is affixed to an eternal throne that cannot be tarnished. Its regality has not faded over the ages and the security of Heaven knows no ebb and flow. His voice is a torrent of assurance and He has ordained an impossibly glorious moment when your faith must become sight and you will be finally and forever delivered from that which causes you to spiritually squint while on earth. His victory will never be denied even if it seems to us to be too-long delayed. Yes, brothers and sisters, the overcomers must one day overcome! The victors must soon triumph over it all! The end was ordained from the beginning and we are just a vapor away from its fullness. God says so!
I could prolong my praise today but you have more than enough to ponder. I tell you that He has never ceased to speak. The danger is that we might leave off with the hearing. The psalmist has told us above in Psalm 95:7 that God speaks today and adds in verse 8 that we must not harden our hearts, thus failing to hear Him. As a child of the covenant, you hear with your heart. As much as it depends on you, keep that heart clean, fresh and pulsing. Your Bible is alive and calling you closer. You’ve read it scores of times but it has a fresh word for the eager student today. Your pastor and teachers will stand before you with a word that they themselves have heard from Him. You can listen to the echo of His voice through them and within that echo will be truth, love and hope. Draw near to Him as He may very choose to whisper that particular word you’ve needed so long. Children of God, believe with all of your might that He is a communicating God who will never fall silent. God is. God hears. God speaks.
What word has He reserved for you this day?
I suppose that there are even people who simply flip open the Bible, close thier eyes, and touch the Good Book with their index finger supposing that whatever verse they have touched is THE answer from God that they were seeking. I believe that God does speak to us personally through the Holy Spirit in a plainly audible voice. For me, He usually does that after I have batted all the possibilities around until I am completely exhausted finally saying to Him, “Alright, I give up. You handle this for me.” Then, within minutes, sometimes within seconds, the answer comes. It is not some Masters Dissertation lengthy and boring. It is almost always a simple “Yes.” or “No.” It is the still, quiet voice that is like a whisper after all the tumult of trying to think through the matter myself. It is always the first thing to enter my mind when I finally cease my mental shouting and arguments. I have to remember to cherish that moment and not to try to elaborate on the answer since the thoughts that follow are always my own rationalizations. Thus it is that the Almighty answers. His patience is awesome! My perseverance is pathetic! The time I waste in trying to reason my way through the problem is a source of constant vexation to me. I should have just handed the problem to Him in the first place.
My two cents…. there have been times (like getting an unexpected call from DFCS asking if we will accept a child) when I have desperately wanted a Burning Bush experience of having God speak to me giving me direction. Alas, I have yet to have the booming, audible, unseen voice of God speaking to me in English. He HAS, however, clearly given direction so many times (constantly?) through so many methods. Yes, my heart, when I’m honestly listening, does know the answers. He speaks through other people to me. He speaks through scripture – the same verse repeatedly being presented to me seemingly arbitrarily. So many ways!