When God Speaks

Hebrews 1:1-2a says, "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." Just as God spoke "in various ways" through the prophets, so He speaks in many different ways to us today, placing His call upon our lives. Scripture reveals that all Christians receive the call of God on their life in some manner. Not all are called into fulltime ministry, but all are called. A walk through the Bible will show God calling His people "in various ways."

God told Elijah to stand before Him on the mountain: "And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave" (1 Kin. 19:11b-13a).

God was in the "still small voice,” and He was calling. God used the "great and strong wind," the "earthquake," and the "fire," to get Elijah's attention, but God spoke through none of them. Those things merely got Elijah to be still and listen. It was then that he heard that still small voice of God speak inwardly to his heart and mind.

Hymnist William Cowper, in his hymn, wrote the title line, "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform" (William Cowper, 1774, Copyright: Public Domain). Indeed He does. God speaks to us in many ways. When He wants to get our attention, He will get our attention. But when He speaks to us and calls us it is always for the purpose of performing His wonders. It is always to accomplish His purpose in you and to bring glory to Himself.

Isaiah was called by God through a vision, smoke, and the voice of God: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!' And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke (Is. 6:1-4—the vision and the smoke).

Realizing he had seen the Lord, Isaiah continued to describe the vision: "Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged'" (vv. 6-7). Then Isaiah added, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me'" (v. 8—the voice of God and the response).

Was the voice of God speaking verbally or was the word simply laid upon Isaiah's heart? Could be either. But one thing we know is that the word of God was spoken through the vision Isaiah saw. This vision certainly got his attention. Then, through the vision, God spoke to Isaiah.

With Jeremiah, God spoke to his heart: "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations'" (Jer. 1:4-5). Did God speak to him verbally? It could be that He did. Many people certainly assume so. What the text says is, "the word of the LORD came to me," not "and the LORD said to me." So it may be that God's word was quietly placed upon Jeremiah's heart and mind, not unlike how God often speaks to us today. A "still small voice," like the voice Elijah heard.

I believe the Lord still speaks to us today. But as with Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, He speaks quietly to our heart and mind. Like the prophets before us, we must be still and listen for that still small voice of God. And when you hear Him speaking to your heart, follow what He tells you. Amen.