Do you ever wonder to yourself where the thoughts in your head come from? Do you picture the little angel on one shoulder telling you one thing and then the little devil on the other saying the exact opposite? How can I know it’s from God and not just what I want? Let’s ponder that together.
In the Bible, God often speaks through His holy messengers the angels. Most of those interactions sound terrifying so I’m not sure that an angel appearing in front of me would convince me. It might scare me to death! Those same angels also appear in dreams to give messages. I’m not sure if a dream is less scary than being awake.
It’s not odd to me that God talks to us directly or he may send angels or saints. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. Joan of Arc heard saints and angels speaking to her. St. Bernadette heard Mary’s voice. In our modern world though, how does God speak to us?
It’s important to note that God speaks to us frequently through Scripture. His word is widely accessible, in many languages. You may read it on your own, or attend a service where the scripture is read and meditated upon. I wonder if our “modern” interpretations ring true to the original writings. Oddly (or sadly enough) we still have many of the same situations in the world as the time of Jesus.
What we don’t see often in the Bible are the other interactions, the ones that occur through nature, or through God’s creatures. St. Francis of Assisi would preach to the animals in the forest. Did they understand? I imagine that they did, probably better than humans.
What about prayer? Does God speak to you there? If He does not, is it because you don’t stop talking? In your next prayer time, would you consider just sitting quietly and asking God to guide you? Here’s the challenging part- you have to be still and listen. Ouf- that can be tough for sure.
Does God speak to you through music or do you speak to Him that way? Have you composed any songs to the Lord? King David wrote 35 psalms of prayer and praise. Have you considered that when you hear the exact song with the message that you need to hear that day that’s it’s God?
God does speak to us on a regular basis, we just have to be tuned in. The answer may come in a dream, by an angel, through nature, in music, or through Scripture itself. I can’t tell you how, but I know that God does speak to you, if you are willing to receive it. My challenge to you this week is every day before you fall asleep, ask yourself where you saw God speaking to you or His blessings in your life just in that day. You will find out quickly if you are paying attention, God is, in fact, everywhere.
