“…And the Spirit of God was upon the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Genesis 1:2,3
Throughout Scripture we find that God speaks. Sometimes He speaks through the things that He has made or done. And though there may not be words as we know them that accompany such revelations of His goodness and glory, He none the less communicates to man that He is God, the Creator and the Redeemer of men. However, though He is constantly speaking through His creation, day and night, He also speaks to the minds and hearts of men. This He does with the intent and purpose of not only accomplishing His good and perfect will on earth as it is in heaven, but to reveal, or unveil Himself, His nature to fallen men, so that they, by the gift and provision of God’s grace and mercy, may believe in Him, surrender to His authority, and follow Christ, who is the greatest proof and expression of His desire and will towards man.
When God speaks it is always with power for there is not an instance when His word is disassociated from His commitment to do and accomplish His purposes in the individual lives of men, peoples, and nations. This power is manifested in many ways, from the quiet word to the woman caught in adultery, saying, “…neither do I condemn you,” to the crying out in the streets of Jerusalem, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” God speaks with an eternal objective in mind. His intent is not just to be heard, but to communicate to Hearers the reality and presence of His power, so that they might believe and be saved from sin, death, and Satan, by knowing Christ’s victorious, eternal life. But what about today, and the individual seeking heart? Does God speak as the hymnwriter put it, “…in accents clear and still?” Does He literally speak to the hearts, minds, and souls of men, to awaken them out of their sleep of spiritual death, in order to draw out their attention to Christ, to seek and find Him? The answer is a resounding “Yes.”
In the Old Testament, when there was the absence of the Scriptures, Christ revealed Himself in many ways. To Moses, He manifested Himself in a burning bush, which attracted the attention of Moses. He then spoke to Mose out of that burning bush. To Abraham, He would reveal Himself as a recognizable man, who with two angels, came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. To Jacob, Jesus presented Himself as the “Angel of the Lord.” In all of these ways by which He revealed Himself, it was accompanied by Him speaking. In those few words that He communicated to these men, He would reveal His will and purpose, putting before His hearers always an intended result, obedient faith in the faithfulness of God. Not only would the Lord speak, but when the believer would obey, whether prophet, king, or servant, the grace of God was given to enable one to obey. God’s provision of life and power made all things possible. That power might be revealed in the conquering of a city, or an individual enemy of God and men. It also might simply be the choice to remain at the side of the prophet Elijah when he was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. The result of such faithful obedience was the reception of a double portion, or measure of the Spirit of God. When God speaks, either by the words of His prophets, or by the mouth of a faithful servant, according to the Scriptures, He reveals His glory.
For the believer today, when does God speak? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that it is “Today.” To the Laodicean church it is when Christ stands at the door and knocks, drawing out the heart.
Dear Father, Teach us to hear Thy voice today, In Jesus’ name, Amen.