Over
the years of walking with Jesus, I have discovered countless promises that
prove God still speaks to the listening heart, for instance Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT).
“The heavens proclaim
the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day
after day they continue to speak; night after night
they make him known. They speak without a sound or
word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.”
And
then of course there are the words of our precious Lord and Savior in John
10:14-15; 27-28 (NIV). “I
am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep listen to
my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can
snatch them out of my hand.”
Yes,
God’s voice may not be audible, but we can hear Him. Conversations with Him
parallel talking with people; just like with friends and loved ones, to hear
God’s voice takes time and investment. Only when both sides communicate and truly
listen to each other, do real, lasting relationships grow. Are you
and I making the investments and taking the time to listen to Him?
You
may have heard the Bible described as God’s love letter written to us, His
bride. Like a soldier at war who sends love-letters home to his sweetheart. How
sad it would be if she left his letters on the shelf unopened. Does God still
speak to the listening heart? You better believe He does! Open His letter and
your life will never be the same.
3 comments:
A great reminder to us all to listen and not just with our ears... thanks Susan!
If we make ourselves available to listen, God reveals amazing things. I confess, I don't always do that. I let life get in the way. But I have experienced it on many occasions, and YES! God speaks. Does he speak audibly to some? Why not? He's spoken to me through lightening, why not his own voice? Although, I'd really rather not have God speak to me in his own voice, audibly, while I'm on Earth. I prayed long and hard as a child for that to not happen, and also that God wouldn't let me see angels,because that would all be just to frightening for me. :) Bless you for the reminder to stop and be still.
My experience with Baptist/evangelical theology can best be described as a wild Roller Coaster ride: a lot of great psychological, emotional, and spiritual highs and a lot of deep psychological, emotional, and spiritual lows. Why?
In Baptist theology, your Justification and your Sanctification---your essence as a follower of Christ...if you boil it all down...is really dependent on you and your feelings.
Do I feel saved? Do I feel I really repented in my born again experience? Do I feel that I truly had faith when I made a decision for Christ; when I prayed a version of the Sinner's Prayer? If I am really saved, why do I feel at times that my faith is so weak? Maybe I need to do the born again experience again; maybe I need to pray the Sinner's Prayer again, just to be 100% sure that I am saved. I want to know without any doubt that I am saved, and if I do not feel saved, I begin to doubt my salvation.
Baptist/evangelical theology tells me that I will always feel Christ's presence and strength inside me, if I am a true believer. But what if I don't feel him there sometimes? If it is true that I should always be able to hear God speak to me, in an inner voice or feel his inner presence move me/lead me to do his will, what is going on when I don't hear anything or feel anything? Have I committed some unknown sin and he is refusing to hear me? Or is the reason that I don't hear or feel him present within me... is because I'm not really saved!
I was so incredibly happy to find orthodox (confessional) Lutheranism and find out that my feelings have nothing to do with my Justification, my salvation, nor with my Sanctification, my walk with my Savior and Lord! My salvation was accomplished 100% by God.
http://www.lutherwasnotbornagain.com/2013/09/tired-of-baptistevangelical-roller.html
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