God Speaks

2005-08-02

“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” (John 4:10)

Most every Christian knows that God speaks through His Word: The Law, the Prophets, the Writings, the Gospels, the Epistles... Yet often we treat the Word as an ordinary instruction manual; just read and follow directions, just do what it says. We forget, as we forget many things, that the Word is living; the Word is alive. More than the intellect is required to discern what the Word is saying. We know certain passages and certain teachings and read certain biases into the Bible instead of listening for God to teach us something new.

In the same time, we forget, as we forget many things, who we are and where we have been. The mystery of the faith has died because we have forgotten the emptiness of our pre-Christian existence. Think back to the circumstances of how you came to be a Christian and the unexplainable discoveries you experienced. What is different between then and now? Oftentimes we have forgotten how to listen when God is speaking.

God speaks through His Word and also through our own prayers. I don’t know about you, but for me God used experiences to bring me to the foot of the Cross. He showed me that my needs and desire to truly live could not be fulfilled in my own effort. After becoming acquainted with the message of Christ over a period of years, and after many attempts by me to push Him aside, He humbled me and I saw Him for who He is: the great Healer, Redeemer, Forgiver. Yet as many of us do, I find myself going back to my old tricks: that I can fulfill my own needs by myself even by doing “religious” activities and simply knowing, without applying, Biblical truth.

And again I find myself (and perhaps you will find this true of you) taking certain events of my life and using them as an excuse not to trust God anymore. Sad memories, painful experiences, and unfulfilled longings, however are things that God often uses to tell us something, both about Himself and ourselves. What is He telling you?

While doing my studies and research, I came across many types of worldviews. Sometimes those who are atheistic or agnostic have a reason for being what they are. They shroud the real explanation in the name of “reason” and “freethinking.” It starts with their experiences: a death in the family, rejection, or something like these that cause immense pain. If God truly cares about us, would He let these things happen? As Christians, we often do the same thing, but conceal it behind a veil of piety. Pain is a reality this side of heaven, and God is telling us something. And I cannot give you a formulaic statement to determine what that is. God works in more than the three dimensions of length, breadth, and height. Our minds work in formulas; the heart is not so simple. And seemingly God works more with the heart than He does with the mind. What is God telling you?