Does God Speak to Us? The Better Question May Be: Do We Listen?

Even a basic reading of the Old Testament leaves us with the impression that God listens to His people and that He speaks to them.

Consider this short but powerful verse.

Psalm 116:1-2, NLT

"I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. [2] Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!"

This portrays God as a God who comes close to listen. Throughout the rest of the psalm, David tells of his personal experience with God listening.

One of my favorite accounts in scripture of how God listens to His people is about a king who is dying.

2 Kings 20:1-3, NLT

"About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: "This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness." [2] When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, [3] "Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you." Then he broke down and wept bitterly."

It certainly seems as if King Hezekiah believed God would listen.

Okay, so God listens, you say, but does God speak?

Again, I turn to the dying king.

2 Kings 20:4-6, NLT

"But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the LORD: [5] "Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. [6] I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.'"

In my view, this is a clear "Yes" to the question of whether God speaks.

If you grew up in the Bible Belt, you've probably heard, "the bible says it and that settles it."

And scripture is full of God speaking.

Consider God walking in the garden and calling out to the man and the woman in Genesis 3. God spoke to Cain in Genesis 4. God spoke to Noah in Genesis 6. These are instances of God using an audible voice to communicate directly, to make Himself and His will known to humankind.

Throughout the Old Testament, God spoke in a variety of ways. There is the burning bush in Exodus 3, when God spoke to Moses first through a burning bush and then in an audible voice. In Exodus 4 and 7, God communicated through supernatural signs.

These are just a few of the first examples we encounter in scripture.

There are Old Testament instances of the dead being raised to life (1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:18-37, 2 Kings 13:20-21), as well as New Testament accounts (Luke 7:11-17, Mark 5:21-43, John 11:1-44 - the most well-known). Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), He quieted storms (Mark 4:35-41), and He healed a variety of people with a variety of needs.

It is well documented that God speaks to His people.

Fine, you may say, God listened in the days of old, but what about today, and to us? And how do we know it is God speaking and not just our own desires?

This is a valid question. Every pastor tells us pray; to talk to God about things. But how do we know when God is speaking back?

Hezekiah asked for a sign.

2 Kings 20:8-11, NLT

"Meanwhile, Hezekiah had said to Isaiah, "What sign will the LORD give to prove that he will heal me and that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?" [9] Isaiah replied, "This is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised. Would you like the shadow on the sundial to go forward ten steps or backward ten steps?" [10] "The shadow always moves forward," Hezekiah replied, "so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead." [11] So Isaiah the prophet asked the LORD to do this, and he caused the shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!"

Have you ever asked God for a sign? I have, and I can't say I ever received a supernatural sign. However, I have been able to see a trail of God's goodness and God's hand.

Have you ever found out there were discussions in rooms you were not in, with someone not wanting you on their team at work or not wanting you in their budget, but you learned that somehow, you stayed on the team and in the budget, and you don't really know how?

Have you considered that this was God at work?

Will there be times when the person in the room that you are not in successfully gets you removed from the team or their budget? Yes. Does this mean they are more powerful than God? No. It likely means that God has a better grasp on where you should be.

Remember, we see the close-up view while God sees down through the corridor of time. Have you ever heard the saying, "A set back is just a set up for a comeback?" God knows what He is doing, even when we can't see it.

But can we expect God to give us a sign? Can we trust God to speak?

I turn to this encounter between Jesus and a bunch of religious leaders.

Matthew 16:1-4, NLT

"One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. [2] He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; [3] red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! [4] Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away."

Jesus makes the point that even though these are religious leaders, they lack the ability (or perhaps the desire) to know how to interpret the signs of the times. Jesus tells them the only sign He will give is the sign of Jonah.

What does this even mean?

Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights, before he was spit out. This points to Jesus dying and being in the grave for three days before God raised Him to life.

Jesus was saying - if you see my death, burial, and resurrection and still don't believe, you won't believe anything I show you or any sign I give.

Remember those resurrections in the Old and New Testaments? If you are not familiar with them, go back and read them.

God makes all things new. When we turn from ourselves and the world and turn to Him, God makes us new. God brings us from death to life.

John 5:24, NLT

"I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

If you do not believe, this blog will not convince you. But if you do not believe, if you are open to searching, and you ask God to reveal Himself to you, I am confident that you will find what you are looking for.

Matthew 7:7-8, NLT

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

Does God speak to us?

Perhaps the better question is whether we listen to God when He speaks.

God has revealed Himself through scripture, through Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. God speaks in ways that each of us can understand. It is God's desire that you know Him. It is not God's desire to keep you from Him or to hide Himself from you.

Are you asking? Are you seeking? Are you knocking?

Will you listen?

Reach out if you have questions. We would love to sit with you and seek answers together.