I remember reading a devotional years ago about listening to God. The part that sticks out many years later is that if you say, "Your servant is listening, God." He will speak to you. It took years for me to understand this. I have heard of people saying that they have heard God audibly speak. I have never heard his voice but I do know on occasion He spoke to people in the Bible. Usually God gave them a conviction in their heart or made his will clear through circumstances. Most commonly, His will is made clear through His Word, the Bible.
If we are seeking God, He promises we will find Him. Matthew 7: 7-8, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Never will He be too busy or not available! All of my life I remember when I would go to my Granny's she would be expecting me. Even if she had no idea I was coming, when I walked in she would say, "I was just 'specting" you to drive in the driveway." She would be so happy. I cannot imagine how God feels when we take the time to visit with Him. He loves us more than our Granny's loved us and that is a lot!
Some people ask how do we know if it is God who we "hear". God's word will always be consistent with the Bible. Know your Scriptures. God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit. If we take the time to read Scripture and listen for His Spirit to speak, He will show us His will and guide us the way we need to go.
Through the Bible, we are shown God speaks to us in different ways. He can speak to us through circumstances. Jonah heard God's voice first but then God spoke to him by circumstances such as being swallowed by a fish. What is the Lord telling you through your circumstances?
Proverbs tells us that if we seek godly counsel those mentors can prayerfully confirm what God is saying to us. God can speak to us by bringing godly people into our lives and speaking through them. God can speak to us through peace. Colossians 3:15, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." If we do not have peace about a decision then it may not be from God.
God also speaks through dreams and visions. That was shown to us through Joseph, Jacob, Peter, John and Paul in the Bible. Peter tells us that God will still use this way today. Acts 2: 17, "'In the last days', God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.'" Joel 2: 28, "'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,your young men will see visions.
God can speak to us through nature. Romans 1: 18-20, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." God's voice can be revealed through landscapes, water, mountains, etc. In John, God spoke from heaven and some thought it was thunder. Some people believe if we hear thunder today, or see floods or hurricanes it may be the voice of God. I do know that those things get our attention and remind us we are not in control! God spoke to Moses through a burning bush (Exodus 3: 1-4). He spoke to Gideon through a fleece (Judges 6: 37). He spoke to Balaam through a donkey (Numbers 22: 1-35).
I think God speaks to me through the beauty of nature. Two other ways God speaks to me are through my thoughts and through the Bible. Amos 4: 13, "He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name." Unfortunately, the devil can put thoughts in our mind also so we have to make sure our thoughts align with Scripture.
God speaks to us through the Bible by drawing us to a particular passage. I always find this so amazing that a Scripture I have heard all of my life and never seemed to have real significance in my life will one day be life changing. That is why it is called the living Word. 2 Timothy 3: 16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." Hebrews 4: 12, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
I have often heard the words, "the still small voice of God." I had never thought about this until I was studying today. If we are going to hear God's voice, then we need to listen. 1 Kings 19: 12, "After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." We need to truly listen to God. While God may use drastic measures at times to get our attention, I think He encourages us to walk so close to Him that we can hear His still small voice at any time.
Romans 10: 17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Are you growing in faith by listening to God?
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