GOD SPEAKS TO US ALWAYS
We have been taught to speak to God that He hears and would answer. Even though we do not see God physically but believe He is ever present; hears our cries and response in various ways. Leonard Griffith writing in God in man’s Experience said, “We speak to God, we address Him in public worship and private prayers, we call Him by name and pour out our petitions, but not with real sense of a Hearer listening to us at other end of a telephone. Even if God does listen, we give Him no chance to reply because having finished our side of the conversation; we hang up and walk away. We speak to God but we have never heard God speak to us.” However one great truth of life is that God speaks to us always. Even in prayer session, we simply speak to God and walk away. We do not wait to hear Him speak to us. Most times, we do not even believe He speaks to us, so we make no provision to hear from Him. We also believe that He chose certain gifted people He speaks to and we do not have such listening ears. Yet, unknown to us, God speaks to us even more than we care to listen or speak to Him. We need to begin to develop listening ears, and be conscious and in expectation to hear from Him.
The bible contains numerous expressions of God speaking to us. The books of the bible were written by men who heard from God and they recorded them. In the book of first Samuel third chapter, we have a story of a little son of Elkanah and Hannah. God called little Samuel who lived with a Priest of God, named Eli. Samuel ran to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me. Eli responded I did not call you. In verse seven, it said something very interesting and revealing: “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.” It could also be that God tries to communicate with us but we are yet unaware of it. It’s possible since we live in a noisy society and are preoccupied with all hassles of life; so many things crowd our mind and sense of reasoning; contest for our time. As a result we have little space to listen to and hear from God. Apart from the expectation to hear from Him, we make no room in our minds to hear from God. You begin by first knowing God and who He really is. Next, begin to sense His presence and hear a strange voice like you never heard before. Let an experienced Spirit-filled minister of God know what is going on in your life and be of help to you like Eli was to Samuel. God could send you a rescuer like An-a-nias was sent to Saul of Tarsus in answer to his prayers, to help him in the process of restoration into new life. And God saw He was praying. Could there have been a difference in his prayer than all the ones he said as a Jew? [Acts 9:11-13]. Paul’s prayer after conversion was effective and brought open heaven.
God speaks to us through His written word. As we hear and read the scriptures, God speaks to us, if we read in faith expectantly. In sermons from pulpit and telecast, teachings on tapes, when we meditate in the words of the bible and in prayers; in testimonies and even in worship services God speaks to us. The scriptures contained expressions such as, “Thus says the Lord” or “The word of God came to me” or ‘And God spoke to Moses, etc. He speaks to us through prophets and His servants.
God speaks to us through nature. The heavens declare God’s glory and the firmaments his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night show knowledge…”[Psalm 19:1-2]. The bible teaches that there is the voice of God in nature. “Above the confusion of conflicting cultures and civilization, nature speaks to man its universal language and it speaks to him of God.” God spoke through a whirlwind; sunset and dawn, winter and summer do tell us the seasons of life; sea winds, waves and hurricanes, ocean tides; in flowers and forest trees, in mountains and valleys yet God cares for the least of His creatures and lavishes His love in all things. We can hear God speak through ancient landmarks and boundaries.
We hear the voice of God speaking through history and events of life. History is not just the chronicle of events and dates to be memorized. History is a fascinating drama pointing to people of the past. As we read the pages of the Old Testament of the scripture, we come across legends, vegetations, primitive life and thrones as well as human experiences of God and deliverances. History also reflects God warning people against immorality and the consequences of disobedience. Again history speaks with the voice of hope and change. If God did these in the past then He will do it again. As President Barrack Obama campaigned for the White House Job, He reminded Americans the struggles of the past and how these challenged people to rise to the occasion – Americans we can’t afford to turn back.
We can hear God through prophesy. The letters to the Hebrews started, “In many and various ways, God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets…..” The prophets were not fortune tellers but spokesmen for God. They were God’s designated, chosen and called; felt the passion and heartbeat of God and God authorized them to speak to individuals, groups and societies on His behalf. God speaks to us in a small still voice, while we sleep [Psalm 16:7]. God speaks to us in a dream. This was Joseph’s [the human parent of Jesus] experience. In a dream, an angel told him not to put away Mary his wife who was made to carry a baby by the Holy Spirit. In another dream, he was warned to escape with the child, Jesus and the mother to Egypt to avoid King Harold attempts to kill him. In another dream, Joseph was assured safety and could return to the land of Galilee. God speaks to us through our consciences, imaginations and intuitions as well as in flashes of reflections.
The bible assures us that we hear God through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks to us in diverse tone: some compassionate: ‘neither do I condemn you…sin no more.’ At other times He spoke sternly as he did to Peter: Get behind me, Satan! At other times He pleads, “Come unto me…..I will give you rest.” Sometimes He spoke with a commanding voice as when He silenced the storm, “Peace, be still” and “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Jesus in the New Testament is known as the voice of God. The authors of Hebrews writes, “In many and various ways……….but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.” Another Apostle, John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…….” [John 1:1ff]. Jesus is the Word and is with us always.
One profound truth is that God has not stopped speaking to us. Again communication is a two- ways process – we talk to God and God talk to us. Most times we talk to God and shut down without waiting and listening to hear from Him. The scriptures urges us to be quick to listen ……..It means be eager; do more solemn listening than talking. Yet the opposite is commonplace and that always land us into more troubles. In our age, noisiness has stolen away the solemn worship of God. Many Christians do not even know how to remain quiet in the presence of God. We do not hear because we care not to listen. Please note that same voice of God that spoke at creation, Let there be light and let us create man in our own image and likeness is still speaking today to us through His Spirit. Let us learn to listen because God speaks and our joyful submission shall be, “Master speak, thy servant hears.”
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.