God Speaks

Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God spoke in the past in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets and has now spoken to us in the Son. Going back even further, all creation came into existence by the word of God, that is, God's speaking (Psa. 33:6, 9; John 1:1-3; Heb. 11:3; II Pet. 3:5). Genesis chapter one is full of "let there be" and "let the earth", and there was, and it did. Having created Adam and Eve, God blessed them and God spoke to them (Gen. 1:27-30). God's speaking is so powerful that it brought the entire universe into existence and yet is so personal that He can converse with those whom He creates. This is truly wonderful!

God spoke in the beginning, continued to speak in many different ways in Old Testament times, and continues to speak today. The question is, have you heard His voice; do you hear God speak? God has so much that He wants to say to us (John 16:12-13), but do we have ears to hear?

God's word was there from the very beginning and one day, miraculously, supernaturally, became flesh and was manifested in the person and life of Jesus the Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18). Jesus is God with us (Matt. 1:23). He is God manifested in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). If you have seen Him, you have seen God the Father (John 14:9). Today, God has spoken and continues to speak in and through Christ. According to John chapter ten, He is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. And what about these sheep of His? They hear His voice and follow Him. Once again I would ask, have you heard His voice? Are you hearing His voice? Are you truly following Him?

There is an odd parallel between the life in the flesh and the life in the Spirit; in both cases, as you get older you may become hard of hearing. The writer of Hebrews warns us of this (Heb. 5:10-12). If our spiritual ears become hard of hearing, we will more likely not know the Lord and follow Him to the extent that we should.

So how is it that we have become or may become hard of hearing? The writer of Hebrews also addresses this matter: unbelief because of the hardness of heart because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:8-15). It is possible that we may even hear His word (in our spirit, through the Bible, from His Body, or out of our environmental circumstances or other people in our lives) but not believe because of the hardness of our heart. The hearing of His word must be received by a soft and open heart with absolute faith, believing that His word is faithful and true. Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart or you may miss God's blessing; you will come short of His promised rest, and live a live of something less than what God intends for you (Heb. 3:7 thru 4:11).

Seven times in Revelation chapters two and three Jesus says, "he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Brothers and sisters, do we really have ears to hear the Lord? Have we heard His voice? Are we hearing Him speak? Or have we become dull of hearing? Or maybe we just have selective hearing; we only hear what we want to hear and harden our hearts toward what we prefer not to hear. Should we not only be hearers of the word but also doers because we respond to His speaking with action based upon faith? He is our great Shepherd; we are His sheep. He knows us. We hear His voice. We follow Him.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Respond with faith and follow Him! Glory be to God.