Do you Hear from God?

For many, many years, I have had people ask me, "how do you hear from God?"

As a young teen I remember feeling God's voice leading me. I couldn't explain it, I just knew He was there and telling me where to go and what to do. Why couldn't I explain it? I believe it was me learning about a relationship with God, and I was a baby!  As a young adult, I still could hear, but at many times I chose to ignore His voice and direction, and went where I wanted to go and did what I wanted to do. Can you identify with this?

I vividly remember a time when a young man, that I had date as a late teen, and I ran into each other as young adults. (Lets call him GO) We were in the same "Gas Line" (anybody remember those from the 1970's?) and began talking and catching up. This was at a time in my life that I was choosing NOT to hear God. When GO asked me about church, (we used to go to the same church) I stumbled and proceeded to tell him that I wasn't as involved and was doing things that I wanted to do. GO said, 'well, I wondered when you would wake up and realize that there was more to life than church!'  I remember stopping everything, my movements, my speech, my heart! Did I really here GO say that there was more to life than church? Really, that meant that there was more to life than a relationship with God, the Creator of the universe, the Savior of my soul. It meant that I had placed my desires, my ideas, my life, before God's. It wasn't about the building that I went to on a regular basis. It was about my relationship with my God! I politely ended the conversation with a 'I see the line is moving. I guess we had better get back to our cars and move along.'

As I returned to my car, I felt my heart start pounding in my chest and moving it's way to my throat. I felt tears filling my eyes. I heard God say, "Where have you been? Why have you been so distant? Will you join me and spend some time with me?" Now did I hear an audible voice - no, but with every beat of my heart, and every tear that fell from my face, I heard every single word! I continued to wait in the gas line to get the tank filled in my car. During that wait, God began to fill my tank! He began to remind me of His love, of His plans for my life;  read Jeremiah 29:11 and ask God to show you.  I began to hear Him loud and clear as I confessed my sin of walking away, of living my life, and putting my God on the back burner and not being involved in an active relationship with Him!

I had heard from God for years. I chose to ignore Him for some years, and I missed out on so much with Him. As I continued to reach out for God, to grow my relationship with Him, I began to see so many ways to hear from God. God's word tells us that we hear from God. I believe he used Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, to make it clear to me as he wrote -"God speaks by the Holy spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways."  Do you want to hear from God? Start with a simple prayer, asking Jesus Christ to forgive you. Ask Him to fill up your heart and soul with His love and grace. Ask Him to teach you through His word. Ask Him to use the circumstances in your life, and other believers in your life to reveal Himself to you.

Psalm 37:1-7a  (HCS)

Trust in the Lord and do what is good;
dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act,  making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; 

Notice the last part of these verses - 'Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for Him;' Do you want to hear from God - Be silent! Wait for Him. He will be faithful to be there with you. He will be faithful to respond. 

I don't get this right all of the time. I struggle just as you do. But I do know that when I seek God, and desire Him, and I am waiting expectantly, I hear from God. Give it a try!