Do you ever marvel at the way God spoke to people in the Bible? Some people were visited by the pre-incarnate Christ such as when Abraham came back from the battle in Genesis 14 or the meeting with Melchizedek before the story of Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 18, or when Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 22v22-31) or in the story of Gideon in Judges (6). There are other times such as throughout the book of Exodus Moses heard God in the burning bush (Exodus 3v4), met with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19) and regularly met with the LORD in the Tabernacle. There is the handwriting on the wall in Daniel (5) or the story of Balaam and the donkey in Numbers 22v28-30. God used interesting means to speak to people and He is still speaking today.
The author of Hebrews says "God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." (Hebrews 1v1-2). This passage of Scripture tells us that we hear from God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we think the God of the Bible is somehow different, but the word says "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13v8). What has changed is our attentiveness to what is truly important, namely that which is eternal. There are so many things to do that we have become a culture that is easily distracted. Therefore, we must be intentional about our time alone with God. I do not know if this has happened to you, but I am guilty of opening the BibleApp to read the word, and low and behold a notification comes on my phone or iPad. I know I don’t need to answer it. I saw the preview, it’s unimportant and surely it could wait, but somehow my thoughts begin to drift. It wasn’t that the message was important but the split-second diversion became a gateway for the next thought which, included laundry, grocery, meal prep; I think you see where this is going. Even though I have purposed time for God, there are times where I seem to be drawn to the pull of life. I desire a greater relationship with and a deeper revelation of Jesus Christ. So, I have set out to be intentional in the journey. And in this quest I am realizing, God is always speaking; the question is am I listening?
I think it is an important question, one that bears discussing as revelation oftentimes is tandem with a confirmation. Jesus speaks through preachers, teachers, sermons, members of the body of Christ, but one of the primary ways He speaks is through the word of God. In the Bible, there are specific instances where God would say the name of someone twice to capture the person’s attention, oftentimes altering the trajectory of the future. There are no vain repetitions in the Bible. The word of God is living and active, therefore when something is repeated there is special significance. You might remember when Abraham on the mountain with Isaac and God called out to him, "Abraham Abraham" or the multiple times the LORD called to Samuel, or in the conversion of Saul to Paul in the book of ACTS. In each of these occurrences, something significant followed with incredible results, not only because the LORD was relentless in His quest to capture their attention but once He did they listened and obeyed.
I would like you to think back over the past week, of frequent repetitions in Scripture that may have seemingly felt like happenstance, but quite possibly it was Jesus saying take time with Me, meditate on My word, and ponder the significance of what I AM saying to you. May I suggest the Lord is still in the business of capturing our attention by sending a word of confirmation through diverse channels, once, twice, even multiple times.
For example, I recently began a devotional taking part in the 21-day challenge in the BibleApp. The devotional is called Rooted by Banning Liebscher, and may I say - I highly recommend it. I had been going through a difficult time, feeling rather frustrated with things in life and as I set out to read the devotional, I began to notice how the devotional and verse for the day provided me with the exact word for the day’s events. More interestingly, the verse associated with the devotional oftentimes was referenced in a separate Bible study later in the day or be the verse of the day in a completely different application. I realize, this is not just by chance but the Lord whispering my name "Andrea Andrea". God is speaking and desires to lead me.
On a particular morning, I read the devotional and followed with a separate guided prayer. The exact verse was referenced in both locations. I Corinthians 1v26-27,” For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” The importance of this word is rich and the way in which God used it on this day, I will never forget. I could not have known how the events of the day would unfold, but God knows and God cares. Later that day, my heart would be pricked through rejection.
You see, I would not be chosen as one of the nurses selected to mentor new employees. I know it sounds like no big deal, but inside when you are not chosen as one of the smartest and most efficient, it hurts. However, what I experienced on this day is the incredible love of God. This has to be what the Psalmist meant by "Your love is better than life" (Psalms 63v3). Every time I think about this moment, tears come to my eyes and my heart fills with joy knowing the Creator of the universe graciously stepped me through the valley. God cared enough to ensure I would be guarded by His love through His word. Twice this Scripture was given to me, I Corinthians 1v26-27,” For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” He knew the situation would wound me emotionally, therefore He, Himself comforted me, giving me the Word before it ever happened. since then, I have set out to be intuned to what He is saying and have noticed this occurs more often than I could have ever imagined.
God desires to direct your steps as well. When you spend time quietly in His presence, you will hear Him. We can't imagine what the day has in store, but God has already gone before us to prepare the way. As we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He makes our paths straight. The importance of spending time with Him in the word enables us to hear His voice above all the others that are vying for our attention and affections. His word delivers us from self, seeing Him in all his power, providence, grace, and glory.
God is always speaking ~ Are you listening?
