While the opportunity to hear God is cultivated in a relationship with him, there is also transformational power when God speaks. He may speak in a still small voice, but his words carry transformational authority. Consider this truth:
The right message from God, at the right moment in time, can change the momentum of your life.
Like our first insight on hearing God, this one seems obvious too, so let me unpack it by exploring three messages from God. In other words, let’s look at three types of messages God often speaks:
1. A Message of Encouragement
In Joshua chapter one, we read the story of Joshua. Moses had died and now Joshua was in charge of leading his people across the Jordan River into the land God had promised to give to them. After giving Joshua the exact parameters of the land, God changes his tone.
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5-7a, 9)
What did God do? He spoke a message—or a word—of encouragement to Joshua. But why? If I was about to give you a gift, would I really need to speak a word of encouragement to you before giving you the gift? God is about to give Joshua and Israel the land he had promised to them, but God has to encourage Joshua. It almost doesn’t make sense…until you reflect on Joshua’s age and his awareness of Israel’s history.
- Joshua Knew His Age – Joshua was not a young man full of energy when the time came to cross the Jordan. How do we know this? Because Joshua’s sidekick, Caleb, was 40 years old when Moses sent him and Joshua to spy out the Promised Land (Joshua 14:7). Some theologians believe Joshua and Caleb were similar in age. Now, add to that another 40 years when Israel wandered in the wilderness for failing to believe God for the Promised Land. That puts Joshua at the ripe age of 80 when he stood at the shore of the Jordan. Have you ever dreamed of doing something great but the very first uncertainty to cloud your mind was, “What if I’m too old?” Joshua needed encouragement because he didn’t have the energy of his youth any longer.
- Joshua Knew His History – In Numbers 13 we read that Moses sent a group of 12 men (one leader from each ancestral tribe) to explore the land of Canaan which God had promised to give to the Israelites. After 40 days of exploring the land, the men returned to Moses and Aaron with their report. Caleb, one of the spies, boldly declared his report.
“We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.” (Numbers 13:30-32a)
As a result of their disbelief and their disobedience, they were defeated by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. Even though this happened 40 years earlier, the image of rebellion and the image of defeat were probably fresh in Joshua’s mind. As the Lord instructs him to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, I can imagine that all of the emotions from 40 years earlier quickly resurfaced. “What if the people rebel again? What if God doesn’t go with us? What if we’re defeated?”
When you look at your personal history, and when you see the challenges of your past, do you need encouragement to take the next step of faith in your journey? Joshua certainly did. And that’s where this simple truth about hearing God is so powerful:
The right message from God, at the right moment in time, can change the momentum of your life.
That’s exactly what happened to Joshua. Now, you might say, “But God’s message to Joshua was, ‘Be strong and courageous.’ It doesn’t sound like encouragement as much as it sounds like a command.”
So what does the word “encourage” mean? “Encourage” actually means to “Put Courage In.” So when God speaks to Joshua, he is using his words to “put courage in” Joshua’s heart. And that word—or that message—of encouragement was the catalyst Joshua needed to act on what God promised to him. It literally changed the momentum of his life, and of the Israelites.
