Hearing GodSample

God Speaks through His Word

I’m sure you’ve asked the question before: What is God saying to me?

If only we knew. If only we could be certain and confident. And perhaps most importantly, can anyone help us understand how it works?

Learning to hear God’s voice works like learning to hear anyone else’s voice—just like parents and children, co-workers, or close friends. You recognize it after you regularly hear it. And the best place to regularly hear God’s voice is through His Word, the Bible.

At other times, the Bible feels a world away—like it has nothing to do with where we live.

How do we make sense of it? Where do we start? Because sooner or later, we all come to moments where we need help and guidance from someone who knows what we don’t.

Proverbs 20:5 says the purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one with understanding draws them out.

That kind of understanding doesn’t come from a search engine or asking Chat GPT.

Have you ever thought: How did I get to this point in my life? Why did it happen this way? Is it too late for me to change? What does God want from me? How do I know? What am I supposed to do next?

The first and most important change we have to make is to understand that God wants us to approach His Word to have a relationship with Him, more than to get information from Him.

In 1 Samuel, we see the relational nature of hearing God. Samuel was aware and listening. When his name was called, he got up and answered. And when God spoke to Samuel, even though it was difficult, he obeyed.

This is a great reminder for all of us. We have learned God is a communicator, He has given us the privilege of hearing His voice, and so, as His people, His sheep, we should be ready to listen.

This is why we should approach God’s Word with a simple prayer like: Lord, I want to know You. I’m ready to listen. Please speak to me through Your Word so I can know and love You more.

It’s a prayer He will always answer.

Every word in Scripture is intentional, meaningful, and chosen by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There is great value in memorizing and knowing the Word. But reading the Bible is less about acquiring spiritual information and more about spending time with Jesus (the Living Word), who renews our minds and transforms our hearts.

This requires a measure of commitment and discipline.

• Do you have a regular time and place to hear from God?

• If He was looking for you, would He know where to find you?

• When was the last time you asked to meet with Him?

We’re all busy with over-scheduled lives, and this sounds like one more thing we don’t have time for. But we all make time for the things that matter the most, like you’re doing right now!

It doesn’t have to be a full hour of power . . . but that’s a great goal to shoot for. The most important thing is to get started with a regular time and place.

Five minutes every day is a great place to start. You’re going to do something with those five minutes. What could be more valuable than hearing from God?