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GOD SPEAKS TO US TODAY!
The Bible records God speaking audibly to people many times
(Exodus 3:14; Joshua 1:1; Judges 6:18; 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Samuel 2:1; Job 40:1; Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:7; Acts 8:26; 9:15 – this is just a small sampling). There is no biblical reason why God could not or
would not speak to a person audibly today. With the hundreds of times the Bible records God speaking, we have to remember
that they occur over the course of 4,000 years of human history. God speaking audibly is the exception, not the rule. Even in the biblically recorded instances of God speaking, it is not always clear whether
it was an audible voice, an inner voice, or a mental impression.
God does speak to people today. First, God speaks to us through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not
return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” The Bible
records God’s words, everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life. Second Peter 1:3 declares, “His divine
power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and
goodness.”
Second, God speaks through impressions, events, and thoughts.
God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16). God is in the process of conforming our minds to think His thoughts (Romans 12:2). God allows events to occur in our lives to direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually
(James 1:2-5; Hebrews 12:5-11). First Peter 1:6-7 reminds us:
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and
honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
THE BIBLE IS HIS DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH US
The primary way God commands us is through
His Word. “All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (See
again 2 Timothy 3:16). If Scripture commands something of us, there’s no need to hesitate & wonder if
it’s really God’s will for us. He cares so much about us that He already gave a plain and clear guidebook to life
– the Bible. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes
of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to
Your Word” (Psalm 119:9).
Likewise, God never, ever contradicts Himself, so He’ll never ask
you to something contradictory to Scripture. He will never ask you to sin. He will never ask you to do something Jesus Christ
wouldn’t do. We need to immerse ourselves in the Bible, so we will know which actions meet God’s standards. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth: meditate on it day and night, so that you may
be careful to do everything that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8).
What we are not to do is expect
to hear voices from God. There is a dangerous trend today where people seek to hear a “word from
the Lord,” extraneous to the words He has already given us in the Bible. “The
Lord told me . . .” has become the mantra of experience-driven Christianity. Unfortunately,
what He “tells” one person often contradicts what He “tells” another, and these extra-biblical revelations have proven to be very divisive, tearing apart church after church as one person’s
experience seeks to take precedence over another’s. This results in chaos, benefiting no one except Satan, who loves
to sow discord among believers. IT IS ALSO USED TO GATHER A FOLLOWING BY ADDING OR SUBTRACTING
SOMETHING FROM HIS WORD THAT SETS THE PERSON
APART AS A "TEACHER".
God may sometimes
speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even
in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to him/her, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God
were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God does not contradict Himself.
We should make the Apostle Peter our example in these
matters. In spite of the miraculous experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he beheld the glorified Christ speaking
with Moses and Elijah who came from heaven, Peter refused to rely on that experience, declaring instead that “We
also have the more sure prophetic word which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:18-19
IS THAT YOU GOD?
This question has been asked by countless people throughout
the ages. Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli (1 Samuel 3:1-10). Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the
point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times (Judges 6:17-22, 36-40). When we are listening for God's voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First
of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the
inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we have a question about a certain topic or decision in our lives, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead us or direct us contrary to
what He has taught or promised in His Word (Titus 1:2).
Second, to hear God's voice we must recognize it. Jesus said, “My sheep listen
to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been
saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. These are the sheep who hear and recognize His voice, because they know
Him as their Shepherd and they know His voice. If we are to recognize God's voice, we must belong to Him. AND
WHAT WE HEAR WILL BE ACCORDING TO HIS WORD.
Third, we hear His voice when we spend time in prayer, Bible study,
and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize
His voice and His leading in our lives. We should be so familiar with God’s Word that when God does speak to us
or lead us, it is clear that it is God. God speaks to us so that we may understand truth. While God can speak audibly to people,
once again: He speaks primarily through His Word, and sometimes through the Holy
Spirit to our consciences, through circumstances, and through other people. By
applying what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize His voice.
GOD'S WILL FOR US
Pray, especially when you’re unsure of God’s
will for your life. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him”
(Psalm 37:7). If you don’t know what to pray, you can always personalize & pray verses such
as, “Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8) and, “Guide me in Your truth and teach me” (Psalm 25:5).
Christians also have the Holy
Spirit to discern what is, or is not, God’s will for our lives. “The Spirit of truth . . .
will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Sometimes the Holy Spirit will either agitate our conscience if we’re making a wrong
decision, or He will pacify and encourage us when we’re leaning toward the right decision. Even if He doesn’t
intervene in such noticeable ways, we can have confidence that He’s always in charge. Sometimes God can alter a situation
without us even realizing He has acted. “The Lord will guide you always” (Isaiah 58:11).
If God is calling you to take a leap of faith, be encouraged by His presence. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the
Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). And remember, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares
for you” (1 Peter 5:7). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
GOD GIVE VISIONS TODAY
In many parts of the world, God seems to be using visions and dreams extensively. In areas where there
is little or no gospel message available, and where people do not have Bibles, God is taking His message to people directly
through dreams and visions. This is entirely consistent with the biblical example of visions being frequently used by God
to reveal His truth to people in the early days of Christianity.
If God desires to communicate His message to a person, He can use whatever means He finds necessary—a
missionary, an angel, a vision, or a dream. Of course, God also has the ability to give visions in areas where the gospel
message is already readily available. There is no limit to what God can do.
At
the same time, we must be careful when it comes to visions and the interpretation of visions. We
must keep in mind that the Bible is finished, and it tells us everything we need to know. The key truth is that if God were
to give a vision, it would agree completely with what He has already revealed in His Word. Visions should never be given equal
or greater authority than the Word of God.
God’s Word is our ultimate authority for Christian
faith and practice. If you believe you have had a vision and feel that perhaps God gave it to you,
prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your vision is in agreement with Scripture. Then prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to the vision (James 1:5). God would not give a vision to a person and then
keep the meaning of the vision hidden. In Scripture, whenever a person asked God for the meaning of a vision, God made sure
it was explained to the person (Daniel 8:15-17).
MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU MY BELOVED.
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