When God Speaks

I have always had a hard time knowing the will of God, hearing his voice so clearly that I could not deny what he was saying or where he was leading. Reading through the Bible I kept seeing so many instances of where he spoke through a burning bush, a cloud, or a whirlwind, even a jackass. I also read where he wrote on a wall just so a pagan king would know! Why can't we have that?

We do, it just requires constantly being alert to his voice to hear it. Let me give you an example: this past weekend Sarah Groves was one of the featured artists in a Christmas concert at our church. She sang a version of "O Holy Night" as only she can but, before she sang, she read one line of the song:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

Now I have heard this song hundreds of times, even sang it many times in my own tilted voice, but these words had never spoke to me as they did this time. Read that, God had never spoke to me in these words before. Only at that moment and in moments since then have I realized that God does still speak to us, from his word, from his works, and, yes, from his people. God told me Friday night that the coming of Christ as a baby king was so that I could feel the worth he places in me!

If anyone's life is represented by that first line it is MINE...I still live in sin and error wishing I weren't, knowing the good and not doing it, knowing the bad and doing it anyway. This past week I spent some long hours wondering if my life, if what I do, is really significant. Does my life count? Do I count for something? God spoke loudly Friday night and this soul once again felt its worth as I thought of Bethlehem and Calvary, of a baby in a feed trough and a king on a cross.

As if that weren't enough, at the Sunday night service of our church our pastor, Joel Hunter, allowed God to speak through him and reinforce this truth in my life. He spoke about the life of Ahaz, the king in Isaiah 7, and how he belittled himself as not worthy to ask a sign of God. Read that chapter of the Bible and read God's response to him - "Not only are you worthy but I will give you a sign that proves that I am God and you are important in my plans!" God holds us in his heart as his own, born on purpose (his) and for a purpose (again, his), to do for him what no other living creature can do. What greater significance to life than to know we are created by the creator of the universe to be an integral part of the completion of bringing his kingdom to earth!

God does still speak, we just don't live our lives listening. God will speak to you today through his word or his people or his music or his creation. Today he is going to show up in your life in a way you totally don't anticipate but, if you are not watching and listening for him, you will miss hearing the very voice of the baby and the king.

Gotta go...someone's calling me...sounds like Corinne but you never know...