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Silent Signals

Right now, there are invisible waves swirling around your head. Television shows, radio programs, phone conversations and GPS coordinates relentlessly bombard the world around you. Most of them dissipate into the ground or pulse unnoticed into the empty darkness of space. In the midst of all that noise, you can sit outside and enjoy a quiet evening completely oblivious to the barrage. But if you flip on a radio, television or cell phone, the silence suddenly has meaning.

One of those signals swirling around your head right now is the voice of God. It's not electronic. It can't be measured with instruments or received by devices. Up to this point, you may not have noticed God's voice, but it's there.

The book of Job is a strange story in the middle of the Bible about a man who became angry with God when his life started falling apart. Job accused God of not speaking, but Job's friend Elihu corrected Job's perspective. "Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one's words? For God does speak--now one way, now another-- though no one perceives it," (Job 33:13-14 NLT).

Elihu made a wise observation. God's always speaking, but we're not always listening. He speaks directly and indirectly. He speaks through dreams and through people. He speaks through pain and through joy. He speaks through life and through death. He's always speaking, and today he's talking to you. It’s really quite simple to hear him. All you need to do is turn on the only receiver you have that will pick up his signal -- your spirit.

When Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders of his time for breaking their sacred rules, he responded with this statement. "And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when the dead will hear my voice--the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live," (John 5:25 NLT).

Take a look at your life. Can you recognize any circumstances God may be using to get your attention? Can you think of people God might have placed in your life to help you hear his voice? Read through the Bible passages in Job and John, and try to recognize all the ways God has been speaking that you may not have given much thought to before now.

Prayer

God, would you make your voice clear above the noise of my busy life? Help me recognize the people and events that you’re using to get my attention. Open my heart and my mind to understand these passages from the Bible.