Four Ways God Speaks to Me

In review of Job 33:14 it says, “God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it.”

Bottom Line:

God speaks in different ways, and we don’t always recognize it.

What this means to me:

God speaks in many different ways, unfortunately I may not always recognize or understand his voice.

I think often I allow myself to get distracted or too busy to listen for God’s response. But what I’m learning is that I have to take the time to tune in and listen, because God is speaking. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it” (NCV).

The question is, “How can I understand it? How can I tune in so that I can hear it?”

Four of the ways or channels that God uses are:

Through his Word - God speaks to me through the Bible. It’s my guidebook for life. It shows me the right step to take. That’s why I need to read God’s Word every day. If I’m not having a daily quiet time and reading the Word, God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak to me. I have to keep a constant connection, because God’s will is found in his Word.

Through teachers - God speaks to me through teachers. I have experienced times in a church service where I felt like what was being taught was a direct message to me from God. There’s no way the teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need. But God knows. God uses the teaching of pastors to meet the needs of people who are listening.

Through impressions - God speaks to us through impressions. There are two extremes to this. One extreme is the rationalist who believes no impression can be from God; it all has to be logical. At the other extreme is the mystical belief that every impression is from God. I need to get in the middle and realize that every impression has to match God’s Word.

Through circumstances - God speaks to me through my circumstances. If I’m going to live a life of significance, God’s got to make constant course corrections, and one of the things he uses to do that is the circumstances that come into my life. When you start to listen to God through circumstances, impressions, teachers, or the Bible, sometimes he’s going to lead me in ways that I don’t understand. I just need to hang in there. Following God will not always be easy, however it will reap more blessing than I can ever imagine.

In summary God will speak in different ways and I may not always realize or understand it when it happens. This morning I thank you God for the reminder that you speak in many different ways. I just need to look for and recognize it. As I run across themes and ideas from his Word and from teachers, I can more easily confirm the impressions I’m getting and how it relates to my circumstances. God will use all of these methods to speak to me. I just need to realize the ones that are from him, as they will line up and be confirmed with what is written in his Word.