Hearing God Speak

Hearing God Speak

“Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.” Deuteronomy 5:27 When God gave His Law to Israel on Mt. Sinai, all the people heard God give the Ten Commandments. They then asked Moses to receive the rest of the Law and function as a mediator between them and God. They discovered that it was terrifying to hear God speak. The generation that began the Exodus exercised the option of accepting God’s Word through another rather than hear Him themselves. Today God’s people hear Him speak, by necessity, through God’s representatives who recorded His Word in Scripture. Are you grateful for this, or would you rather be a Moses, Jeremiah, or Apostle Paul? I confess that I am grateful that I don’t hear God directly, for if I did and heard Him say something seemingly different from what the Bible teaches (as did Paul when he said the New Testament saints don’t have to keep the Old Testament Law), I would have to stand without the affirmation of the Body of Christ. How could I know that I was not like so many kooks and heretics before me who said they heard God speak and then led people astray? Knowing my propensity for self-delusion, I would rather take my risk with Scripture than with a direct word from God. For more articles by Walt...
Derailed by Distraction

Derailed by Distraction

In a world filled with multi-tasking, speedy technology, on-demand entertainment, and social media, it is easy to understand how we get distracted. I have been disappointed at times when I realize how much of my attention the computer, or some other electronic device has captured eaten up my time. What about you, when was the last time you sat still, by yourself, with zero stimulation—all in an effort to quiet your soul? My guess is that it has been awhile. In fact, if you are under the age of thirty, you may never have done anything like that. For anyone pursuing a deeper relationship with God and a closeness to Jesus, the idea of distraction can be depressing. It is challenging enough to handle the day-to-day work that comes our way, but we also live in a culture that rewards busyness over quiet reflection. What we need is a supernatural time management program, but, until that gets discovered, we can look to the Bible for three key thoughts on dealing with distraction. Purpose—The apostle Paul provides perspective on biblical purpose in Colossians 1:28 when he writes, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” He makes it clear that this is what he works for; to proclaim Jesus to people and challenge them to grow in God’s word. We have a charge to the do the same thing and a clearly stated purpose plays a major role in keeping us “on task”. Do you have clarity on your purpose? Priorities—Having a clear focus on...