– Scripture:
God’s Spirit spoke through me, his words took shape on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke to me, Israel’s Rock-Mountain said, “Whoever governs fairly and well, who rules in the Fear-of-God, Is like first light at daybreak without a cloud in the sky, Like green grass carpeting earth, glistening under fresh rain.” And this is just how my regime has been, for God guaranteed his covenant with me, Spelled it out plainly and kept every promised word— My entire salvation, my every desire. But the devil’s henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash; Better not try to touch them; keep your distance with a rake or hoe. They’ll make a glorious bonfire!
2 Samuel 23:2–7 (MSG)
– Reflection:
Heard GOD Through Others
God communicates through His people, empowering us to act as agents in carrying His messages. This is similar to how Ananias helped Saul and Cornelius assisted Peter, among others. This method of using human agents is one of God’s two preferred ways of communication. Numerous examples of this can be found in Scripture. Additionally, Scripture itself serves as an example, as the Biblical authors acted as His agents in conveying His precious words to us.
Here is how I believe it works. Well, while God uses his still, small voice to reach us directly, speaking into our minds, originating thoughts there instantly, he uses that very same voice to also reach us indirectly; that is, by speaking directly into the minds of others, directing a few of their thoughts, and then allowing them to use their spoken or written words to take his messages the rest of the way, to us.
For example, if I am not paying attention to what God is saying, He might send Charles to me with a message about what I should do. At that moment, I have a choice: I can recognize that I am activated and take the message seriously, or I can ignore it and pretend that a message about my purpose, coming from someone who doesn’t know anything about my life, is just a coincidence.
– Where do we go from here?
Some of us may be struggling to hear from God. This could be because we’re not used to recognizing His voice, we’re not fully paying attention, or perhaps we simply don’t want to listen. Regardless of the reason, it’s evident that God speaks through those who are willing to listen and desire to hear Him. This could be through the inspiring words of a pastor in the pulpit, the encouraging comments of a friend at a coffee shop, or the challenging insights shared among brothers in a men’s group. There are countless ways God reaches others who need to hear His message.
– Our Prayer for Today
Father, we want to hear your voice! We have not yet committed ourselves to a group that can speak truth into our lives. Please help us open our hearts so that you can intervene on our behalf, guiding us as we begin the journey of finding a group to join. Thank you for your Son. Amen.
