John 10:23 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” So last time we started talking about hearing God’s voice and I talked about the fact that God wants us to live in communion with him. That word communion is where we get our word communicate comes from. We have been taught to talk to God not talk with God. Here we see that God’s people hear his voice and follow him not only that but because they hear him he knows them. I want to encourage you today to keep talking with God. The more you listen the more you hear. So lets take just a few lines today to talk about the ways to hear God.
The first way is the one that we are always told about the Bible. It is the active word of God. It still speaks God’s words to us today and I don’t want anyone to think that I am belittling this way God speaks to us. I have on several occasions picked mine up to read and had words that just seem to be spoken right to my heart. A great example of that is Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." I was reading this at a time when I felt far away from God and it jumped off the page at me that God will hear me and answer me when I seek him with my whole heart. That he has plans to prosper me. So I know that God still speaks by his word but that is only one way that God speaks, and it isn’t the most common way either.
The most common way is not even attributed to God by most people we call it our conscious. Most people think that that little voice that tells you right from wrong is their voice but scripture makes it plain that it isn’t our voice. Jesus himself says that conviction of sin or wrongdoing is one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit. John 16:7&8 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:” Once you realize and begin to recognize that voice as belonging to God then you will understand when He speaks along the line of one of the other jobs of the Holy Spirit. For more on the Jobs of the Holy Spirit read the rest of John 16:5-16 on your own. This is the start to hearing God speak we will continue talking about this with a couple of more ways to hear God speak this weekend when I post part three of this series.
On a personal note if you are reading this and it is helping you please leave a comment of drop me an email or facebook post letting me know. Till Saturday Keep listening and talking With God.
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