Did you ever hear anyone say, “Well, God talked to me in a dream” or another say, “I had a vision” or someone declare, “Well, God talked to me while I was driving my car down the highway” or maybe, someone vows that God spoke to him and forgave his sins while he laid his hand on the radio? When you hear someone making such claims, you may be sure they are mistaken.
Did you know that God tells us plainly, in His Word, how He speaks to us today? Would you really like to know how God speaks to us? If we do not know how He speaks to us today, we will not know when or what He speaks.
“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 1:1–2 NKJV). In this inspired text, the writer declared that God has spoken. The question is, how does He speak to us today?
Yes, there was a time when God spoke to man directly from Heaven, and man heard the voice of God. God talked with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Later, God revealed His Word to the prophets, who, in turn, spoke to the people. God told Moses that the time would come when He would no longer speak through the prophets, but He would raise up One prophet, referring to His Son, Jesus, and He would speak the words which God would place in His mouth. This important prophetic teaching is found in Deuteronomy 18:15–19.
While Christ was on earth, He taught the Word of God. Actually, God put the words in His mouth. However, before Christ ascended to His Father in Heaven, He chose His apostles. Jesus made them this promise: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13–14).
God revealed His Word to the apostles by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guided the writers of the New Testament as they revealed in writing God’s message to us. God speaks to us today through His Holy Word. We do not need Him to talk directly to us. Paul declared, God’s Word is inspired and complete. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
What we need today is to allow God’s Word to speak to us and for us to obey what it says. Too many are looking for something mystical, unusual and exciting instead of sitting down with God’s Word.
