Ernest Smith

 

If you have been a Christ-follower long enough or been around enough of them, then you have probably heard the phrase “God told me to…” abused one too many times. There are many who claim that God told them to break up with someone, quit a job or buy a new car. I’m not saying that God can’t tell someone to do any, or all of these things, but many times people use God as a justification to do what they ultimately desire. God becomes the scapegoat for many people and why not? It is difficult for someone’s ex to fight against a Spiritual Being. So, claim God tells you and leave the scene of the accident unscathed. I know I have done this one too many times.

However, I have also known people, myself included, who have honestly heard from God and so they act on what He is telling them to do. So what is the difference? Is it the spiritual condition of the listener that determines the audibility of the voice? Is it the zealousness of the believer that determines the accuracy of one’s hearing? Spiritual condition and zealousness may have a role, but I think that one’s ability to hear clearly from God is based on one’s ability to discern how God speaks most effectively to the individual. Every person is different and every person hears differently, therefore we must learn how to discern how God speaks to us in order to accurately know if it is God speaking. I am going to share some insights, over a few posts, on how God speaks to me and I hope it will resonate with you.

The greatest way that God speaks to me, and I would say the majority of believers, is through His Word. God’s Word, the Bible, is His greatest revelation of Himself outside of the person of Jesus. The Bible is filled with truths, commands, insights, doctrines and, most importantly, it is alive.

Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word is alive. What does that mean? It simply means that God knows you and He knows what you need to hear, therefore He can direct you to the portions of His Word that you need. God isn’t dead and neither is His Word, but unfortunately many Christ-followers treat it like it is irrelevant for their life.

I am amazed at how many Christ-followers share with me how they are struggling to hear from God and the first question I always ask is “How much are you studying God’s Word?” I can count on one hand how many times a person has been struggling to hear God’s voice and has been devoting themselves to His Word. Most of the time, the person looks sheepishly away and admits that they are not spending the appropriate amount of time or energy reading and studying the Word of God.

Don’t be sheepish, just make a change. If you want to hear the voice of God, then be willing to start at the greatest way that He speaks to the majority of Christ-followers, through His Word. His Word is unchanging and it is alive, therefore it will always speak truth and truth to your situation.

If you want to hear the voice of God, start with reading His Word.

Next time, we will look at “How do you know that prompting is from God?”