Read John 10:27

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,and they follow me. (NLT)

Many of us have heard Christians tell us that God ‘told’ them to do this or that. And when we hear such phrases we may rightly wonder if that person has really heard from God or whether they are just ‘dressing up’ their own desires in spiritual-sounding language and putting their desires beyond challenge. After all,who can argue with God?

But we must not let such foolishness hide the fact that our God does still speak. Some agree with this and yet confine such speaking to the Bible. But the Bible itself doesn’t seem to back this up. And who are we to limit the activity of God? When Jesus says his followers listen to his voice,it is a bit of a reach to assume he is talking only about the Bible.

The Scriptures may not be the only way he speaks: dreams,visions,sense impressions,the counsel of others,songs,scenery,art etc. And yet the Scriptures are the yardstick against which we measure any other apparent forms of speaking. If we claim God has told us something that goes against Scriptures,then we haven’t heard from God.

One more thing about his speaking: it means that when we pray we don’t do all the talking. True prayer is dialogue. If we do all the talking,we may not hear him ‘talking’. Our God is a speaking God,so we are to be a listening people.

Blessings
David Reay

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