When was the last time you heard from God? God speaks in all sorts of ways: circumstances, people, prayer, etc. But if you have ever met a Christian who said, “God told me to (insert something that contradicts the Scriptures)!” then you know people often misinterpret what God is saying. It can cause us to wonder from time to time if it is God speaking or if we are making something up in our heads.
If you want to know for certain that God is speaking, then read the Bible! It is God’s holy Word that was inspired by the Holy Spirit, written by dozens of authors over hundreds of years with one main storyline and zero true contradictions. Even though it is the most scrutinized book in history, it stands the test of time like no other! That is because it is not a set of made-up, clever stories coming from a person’s opinion about the divine or some a human effort to create a religion. Every word of the Bible comes from the Holy Spirit and points to Jesus Christ. It is the Spirit-inspired record of God moving in the world.
Peter didn’t just like the idea that Jesus is the Son of God so he told people that. Peter saw with other witnesses heaven open and God declare Jesus as his son. He heard God’s voice and saw Jesus transfigured. (Matthew 17:1-9) How did he know he wasn’t hallucinating? Because he was not the only eyewitness, but the more he saw what God was doing in Jesus, the more he recognized how it fulfilled the Scriptures of the Old Testament – God’s Word! His experience was connected to the Bible!
If you want to know what God says, read his Word. If you want to “hear” God speaking directly to you through the Bible, open your heart and life to him as you read the Bible. Most people sense that God is speaking directly to them when their heart is open and attentive, making space for the Holy Spirit to connect the words the Spirit inspired directly to our lives.
Questions for reflection:
- What was the last thing you think God was trying to say to you?
- What are some ways you can “open your heart” as you read the Bible?