“Listen, and you will find life.”
Have you ever wondered if God speaks to us?
Perhaps you would answer favorably. But your “Yes” would have a few conditions. A stipulation like God spoke to those in the Bible, and He speaks to some people today who are more faithful. While there may have been a few times you felt God has spoken to you, a question remains in your mind about your ability to hear Him.
If you struggle with hearing from God, you are not alone. Studies from the Pew Research Center indicate that 72% of Americans struggle with hearing from God.
We are about to embark on a four-week journey to understand more about how we can hear from God, and the first step circles around our belief.
Do we believe that God will and does speak to us?
Many would say that we believe God created us and loves us. Those who call themselves Christ-followers also believe God desires personal relationships with those He made.
John 1:12-13 tells us, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (NLT)
The Old and New Testament is filled with imagery portraying the Creator God as a relational God. We are created in His image, adopted as His children, and we are His friends. We are co-laborers commissioned with a mission, valued, chosen, and deeply loved.
These are not descriptors of a distant, unconcerned Celestial Being with those He created, but the definition of an All-Powerful God who has chosen to be in an intentional, intimate relationship with those He created in His image.
If we believe God desires to have a personal relationship with us, then with any relationship, there is communication. And taking this one step further, healthy relationships involve two-way communication.
Isaiah prophesied with this message from God, “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David” (Isaiah 55:3, NLT).
God is a relational God who beckons us to listen, to point our ears to hear. Would a loving God call us to action to listen only to leave us with no message to receive?
Jesus echoed the prophet’s words when he taught, “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” (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV).
Again, why would Jesus teach us to ask, seek, and knock if there would be no communication from Him to answer, direct, and open?
Jesus also taught that He had more to tell us but would send us the Holy Spirit to share Christ’s message. “The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me” (John 16:15, NLT).
Yes, God still speaks to us.
Not only does God speak to us, but it is vital to the abundant life He offers us. “Listen, and you will find life,” the prophet told us. When we come to God with our ears positioned to hear His words, His truth will impact how we experience life. (Isaiah 55:3)
If we want to hear from God, we must believe He speaks to us.
Over the next few weeks, we will answer three more questions through the blog and podcast.
- How do I Hear God?
- In what ways does God Speak?
- How will I know it is God’s Voice?
All of these questions hinge on our belief that a relational God wants to communicate with us.
Will you believe God wants to speak to you?
I pray that your mind will be opened to the truth that God loves you and wants to hear your heart’s pains and dreams. That He also wants to speak into your life so that you may have the peace and joy He offers. May your belief in God’s desire to speak to you grow tenfold and your ability to hear Him grow the same. So be it, in Jesus’ name.
Meditate: I believe God speaks to me.
Reflect: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the strongest level of belief, where are you in believing God speaks to others? To you? Do you have a personal relationship with God? If not, would you like to have one? (Learn More about how to have a relationship with God.)
Deeper: Isaiah 30:18-23, 55:1-3, 6-11; John 16:12-15; 1 Kings 19:9-13
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version)
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