The many ways God speaks to us

How to listen to God’s voice is one of the most difficult subjects to write about, because it can be such a personal and complicated thing to describe how God speaks to us on an individual level.

Listening and hearing

Humanly, it is more difficult to listen than to hear. Moses and Elijah could both testify to that. The burning bush experience that Moses faced, when God spoke to him, was an intense and holy moment, and he knew exactly who was speaking to him – God clearly identified himself. But then God gave him an instruction that he wasn’t very fond of (Ex 3:1 -6). Elijah also had to listen very closely before he could hear God’s voice in the sound of a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12).

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings 19:12

It makes you ask yourself: Should you and I expect to only hear God’s voice on special and exceptional occasions like Moses and Elijah? But at the same time, one must also ask the counter-questions: ‘Has the saying “…and the Lord told me…” become too common and a bit cheap?’

Fortunately, we can all say that there are still many ways through which God speaks to us. To name a few, he speaks to us through:

• an answer to our prayers

• sermons

• opening and closing of doors (opportunities)

• through other people (but in Jer 23:16-17 the prophet warns us against false prophets that create false expectations).

It is mostly through His word that He will speak to us, but then He also expects it from us to read His word with the necessary dedication!

The fact is that a conversation with God still is a holy moment, and we must make sure to understand his message to us and determine if it is really His voice we are hearing. It may take a lot of patience, but it will also need willingness from you and me to do what He requires of us, even if it is an important, but uncomfortable assignment.

Written by Jean Lung.

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