Every believer wants to hear from God.
Why would you attempt to follow God closely if you didn’t want to know His voice or hear what He has to say?
Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” (John 10:27)
That’s especially true in the circumstances of our life. When life is happening — we want to know: Is this God? Is this what He is telling me to do? Is God trying to get my attention?
And, I believe, sometimes life if just happening. It’s not at all that God isn’t interested or in control. He counts hairs on our head and stores our tears in a bottle — He cares. But, sometimes life is life. Things happen. Doors open. Doors close. Jobs are lost. Health changes. The deal on the house we wanted falls through. We don’t get the scholarship we hoped we would. Life happens.
And, yet, I do believe God will use our circumstances to speak to us. He used a burning bush to speak to Moses.
I wish He’d use one to speak to me sometimes. I think I’d pay attention to that.
And, I think that’s part of the problem.
One thing I’ve observed is that we often expect God to speak in the grandiose voice of God. And, sometimes God speaks that way, but many times — at least in my life — God is more subtle than that. Often God speaks through those quiet moments, through other people, and through ordinary life’s circumstances.
In a crowded world of noise and life distractions sometimes it’s hard to understand what God is saying. Isn’t it?
How do we — in the midst of our circumstances — as mixed up and confusing as they can be — figure out what God could be saying to us?
First, I have to say this — it begins and ends in a relationship. If you don’t have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ — start there. (Read Romans 10:9 and if you have questions, email me.)
But, for those who have a relationship already — which is the majority of my readers — how do we hear God’s voice through our circumstances?
