When God Speaks To You
Does God speak to you? I think he does, and I think he uses people around us more than we give the “Big Guy” credit for. We often look at the Bible as a method that our creator uses to communicate (it is certainly the best place for us to get a glimpse into the mind of the almighty), and sometimes we will acknowledge that God is using our life circumstances to tell us something that we need to know. However, I don’t often hear others tell me, “God used Joe to tell me something today.”
We see this demonstrated for us all over the Bible. There is probably more documented confrontation with Paul than any other person in scripture. God regularly used Paul to instruct and correct the early church, but how does that translate to the present? How do I really know God is using someone to tell me something important?
I think the key to knowing (or maybe I should say attempting to discern) this is from God is that the information being communicated is usually something you DON”T want to hear… here is an example:
I love my brothers. They have always been there for me when I needed them most. After leaving the military I brought Shelli to New York with me to be closer to my family, but it was sooooo challenging. She was working full time at a law firm as a legal secretary and I actually had two jobs so we could make ends meet. I felt bad about it because she was often alone while I was at my second job. Thank God for my brother Pete. He was there for us any time Shelli needed a friend or I needed someone to lean on when the crap in life seemed overwhelming. God used Pete to express care and concern for us through a tough transition.
After a challenging 9 months in New York I had a difficult conversation with my brother Dave that completely took me off guard. We were at my parents house for a Sunday dinner and he asked,
“Frank, why are you still here?”
I replied, “What do you mean?”
“You should just go…”
“Uhhhh.. go where Dave?”
“To college Frank, just leave and go to college.”
“Yeah sure, hehe, its not that easy bro.”
“Frank, it is that easy. You said living here is killing you financially and you know you want to go to school for ministry so why not just go. If your money situation is going to be bad, why not go to PA anyway and at least be productive. It has to be better for you in PA.”
I don’t know if I ever thanked my brother for that confrontation. God used him to change the course of my life in that moment and we moved to PA on New Years Day. I know it sounds cliché but, January 1st, 1998 was the first day of the rest of my life. It is kind of weird reflecting back on that day because I never expected God to tell me something through my brother. It was almost as if it wasn’t my brother speaking to me, but I think that is the key to recognizing God’s voice. Plus, as I reflect further I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it in the moment… its often sometime later when I can see the impact that person has had on my life.
When these sorts of things happen (to me) it seems to come from a source that I don’t expect and they often will tell me something that I don’t want to hear.
Has God ever used someone to tell you something that you didn’t want to hear?
So given your two principles on “knowing”, if I hear a voice telling me to sell all my possessions and give the proceeds to the government as a donation, that’s definitely something I “don’t want to hear”.
And then, if I discover that voice is coming from my dog, that’s definitely “a source that I didn’t expect.”
But God has used animals before, to tell men unexpected things, so I should just obey, no?
This is so ridiculously stupid and illogical. It’s this sort of sloppy exposition that drives rational thinkers away from the faith.
And I guess we should just cut 2 Tim. 3:17 from the Bible? It makes the outrageous claim that it alone “thoroughly equips” us. Your post seems to propose that it alone is not enough. That there is more propositional truth that we need, which is not contained in scripture, a la “Frank move to PA”.
Are there more words of God, than what is contained in scripture, that we need to hear? If so, then those new words are probably much more important to me than all those old words in the book. Why waste time with those when I can get more current, and probably more relevant content?
Now you probably didn’t want to hear this, and I’d venture that this is an unexpected source, so… “Frank, get real”.
Eric,
Wow! Thanks for the kind words…
First I will say you are RIGHT about one thing… I probably shouldn’t have used the word “knowing” because it implies certainty.
I’m not saying my conversations with my brother are adding to scripture and that I need to exegete my conversation with him for some sort of deeper meaning. I just think it is good for people to reflect on how God uses them.
Ephesians 2:10 says For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Haven’t you ever had a conversation with someone that you think God used to help you? Maybe he used a discussion you had to encourage you to take a different path?
I’m in no way trying to say that scripture is not our ultimate authority. All I’m doing is reflecting on a moment in my life that I was stressed out and I think God used my brother to provide me with some direction.
Hopefully my story simply helps someone else remember a time that they felt alone and through the actions or words of another human being, God revealed to them that he was still there.
Thanks for sharing…
Frank, thanks for the reply. I just believe that in this day and age we play very loosely with the concept of God’s revelation. I shudder when I hear people say that “God spoke to them”, or “God revealed to me”, and it has nothing to do with words in the Bible. There is only one place that God reveals, and that is in his Word, via his Spirit unlocking our minds to it.
The only way someone can help me realize that “God is still there”, is to direct me to Scripture stating same. We must be careful to always attribute the correct source. Many people and things may be tools in God’s hand, but only as they point to the true source.
Someone much smarter than I said it better in: “God told me” and the Sufficiency of Scripture :
http://bit.ly/zJqhX
Eric,
There is no doubt that Dr. Denver is a very bright man. Well educated and seems to have a great deal of experience. Sounds to me like God is using him to speak truth into your life… ::smile::
I guess we will just have to agree to disagree because I believe God can use people to show me he is there without pointing me to a passage in the bible…
Hey Frank-
Interesting blog post, just what I needed to hear.
Funny, you see, because I was actually just working on a blog titled, “Hearing from God” that questioned how to discern whether or not someone’s comment can be God speaking through him/her. Needless to say, I’ve contemplated “hearing from God” through several people out here. I wouldn’t exactly say that the comments are things that I DON’T want to hear though. Ah, that’s what makes it complicated!
Anyway, great post! I felt like, yet again, maybe God’s trying to confirm something!
I believe God “can” send aliens to my bedside to communicate new truths to me, but for the Bible claiming a monopoly on sourcing. To allow for any other method of communication is to lower the value of scripture. It claims to be everything I need to be thoroughly and competently equipped.
If the Bible’s not enough, then why not Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon and its extra revelations? He got those directly from an angel on Cumorah Hill in Palmyra NY less than two hundred years ago. God can send angels, can’t he? And Joseph sure wasn’t expecting that.
Eric,
The Bible cannot be read by a four year old in the hospital or a blind man without a brail copy. A piece of paper cannot embrace a human being and extend love an compassion. For whatever reason God has chosen us to extend the love of Christ to other humans.
I DO NOT believe the Mormons have it right but I do believe God uses us to express compassion on a world in pain and again… All I’m saying is I felt like God used my brother to help me in a time of need.
Ephesians 4:29-32
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Quite a conversation you guys have going here. Eric seems to be off on a tangent of sorts. I don’t see Frank claiming anyone is revealing new doctrine or truth about the nature of God. I believe God has had me cross paths with certain people to guide me through a difficult experience. Frank, maybe if you didn’t say “God speaking” Eric’s panties would’nt be in a bunch. Sorry Eric, but based on the context of Franks post, I think you’re over reacting.
What about Paul speaking to believers and non-believers about God’s truth? What about the fact that Christians attend church on sunday to listen to a PERSON talk about God’s truth. Yes, it comes from the Bible but not all of it, word for word. Do you know of any extremely effective pastor that stands up there and reads right from the Bible, without adding their own thoughts and personal stories? What about verses that tell us to go out and preach to all the nations? Again, we are preaching from the Bible, but how are we to hear without these words coming from the mouth of a human being, and dare I say the actions as well? I think it may be a dangerous thing to put restrictions on God, saying that we can only hear from him through one medium. I am by no means a biblical scholar, but I do see fault in this limitation.