HOW TO HEAR GOD - PART 4 - THE WORD

A journalist once wrote, "Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world." There are 26 letters in the English language, and with just these few curves of a pen, this man helped to inspire the American people to rally behind the cause of freedom in the 1700s. This writer, Benjamin Franklin, believed that words are more powerful than any army. And maybe he was right? People are inspired to action by ideas and values, not by force and power. 

God is the ultimate Author and His Book has changed the world. A few modern countries continue to ban the Bible because God's words can catch a nation by storm and awaken an unstoppable revival. But it is not just the ink on the page that changes a person, it is the breath behind it! God stands behind these words transforming lives and planting destiny.  (2 Tim 3:16-17)

This is the fourth part in a series on learning to hear God's voice. If you missed the first steps then you can catch up here, "Dreams," "Impressions,"  and "Visions." If you want a glimpse into my personal journey in hearing God or if you have questions about whether God still speaks today then check this out, "I'm not crazy, I'm just hearing God. "

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED THE WORLD

God's written words are the most precious literature our world has! These words have shaped our history, language, cultures, and lives in amazing ways! When the Bible is translated into a new language it develops and solidifies the dialect causing there to be a flourish of culture and education. Christianity does not rewrite cultures, it brings the best out of all of them! During what many people call, "the dark ages" there was a movement of kingdom values. In Christendom (modern-day Europe), leadership was built from the ground-level up meaning that looking out for your community was more valuable than living for yourself. The early church was the first institution to start mega public hospitals. Inspired by the value God's word puts on every human life they wanted to serve and heal the broken. Believers started schools and colleges influencing education and the arts. Christian values birthed the concept of providing education for children who could not afford tuition. One such school was founded by Gerard Groote for children orphaned by the plague and beggars in the 1300s. He even started a school for girls which was unheard of in that age. His school produced some of the most influential leaders and revivalist in the following 200 years including Martin Luther who led the Reformation. As Christian culture began to flourish, people were inspired to give their wealth as an inheritance for future generations. They gave their time and resources to build Cathedrals which sometimes took 500 years to complete. They laid the stones to something only their great, great grandchildren would live to see and these beautiful works of art still stand today. This is the fruit which comes when people read the word of God! A generation with a passion for the Bible will live in a way that brings Heaven down to earth by influencing education, social justice, building a better future for our children, passion for community, and a belief that God has something good for our generation. The one who reads their Bible is the same one who changes the world.

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE? 

God speaks in many ways and sometimes He uses words to communicate. The Bible is God’s written “language.” He teaches us what to do in our life situations by highlighting a bible story or a verse as we read. We learn how to live and relate to God through the wisdom in its pages. We all have experienced God speaking to us through the Bible. We have felt our attitude change as our heart begins to beat in the same frequency as God's heart. God's word is like a sword cutting away the old style of thinking and bringing us into a fresh new mind in Jesus. (Ephesians 6:17)

Bill Johnson wrote, "Our life depends on God's voice. His voice will never contradict His written word, but His voice is what makes the word come alive. We need the voice of God to activate what is on the page into becoming life in us."

We need God's word to survive and we truly live when we hear His voice. (Mat 4:4) Remember the parable of the sower and the seeds? A man scattered seeds on many kinds of soil and studied how they grew. The seed is the word of God, the one planting the seed is the Holy Spirit, and the soil is the condition of the heart who hears the word. When God speaks to us He often speaks in seed form because He is looking for "soil" who will steward and invest in what He planted. Don't underestimate the small package the word comes in. A seed is tiny, but it is powerful. God's message has the full force of Heaven behind it, but the deciding factor is our heart's condition to nurture that word. (Luke 8:14) If we play our part by listening and believing, then God will do His part and bring that seed to life.  

READ FOR CONNECTION

This will offend some people but the Bible is not the "Word" of God, Jesus is the "Word" of God. Before you freak out and email me your concerns - Yes! I believe that scripture is from God and that it is sacred. Every word of it is true. It’s the set in stone guide which we test everything up against. But I believe that Jesus is God's message! Why does this distinction matter? Salvation does not come through knowing what God says but by believing in Jesus who the message is about! Sadly, many people know the words in the Bible without knowing the Word who it’s talking about. Everything God has to say can be wrapped up in our Savior Jesus!

"The Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (John 1:14) 

I love the Bible! It is God's boombox which we can hold in our hands. I read and memorize it, not as a scholar, but as a daughter who wants to know her Father's thoughts. The connection between the reader and God is the purpose of scripture. That being said, one cannot claim to love Jesus and not have a passion for the Bible! But we need more than reading! Many of the bible scholars in Jesus' day knew the entire Old Testament by heart but almost all of them missed the Message who stood right in front of them. They saw Him but they looked right through Him. The Promise they spent their lives studying was breathing in the room, talking with them, and offering them friendship beyond just words on a page, but they did not recognize Him. They totally missed the point of the scriptures!

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me! Yet you refuse to come to Me to receive this life." (John 5:39-40)

Theology means, “the study of God.” It is possible to have good theology and miss God. Theology without experience is dangerous. This sobering thought challenges us that reading and knowing the Bible is not the goal, although this is very important for us to do. The goal of God's written word is to bring us into an encounter with the Living Word, Jesus. Anything less is philosophy and falls short of the target behind the invitation. When God speaks through His word it is to build sonship, not knowledge! "For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Rom 8:16) Let's not settle for only knowing the thoughts of God, but let's reach for the true purpose which is to know the Author Himself! The fruit from your quiet time with God must be that you are brought closer to God and His people. 

We know we are living out of a relationship with God when we begin to put a demand on what we believe. We must allow the words to change us and come to life through us. 

KNOW THE BOOK

God's word is the ultimate standard by which every other form of hearing God's voice must be judged against. If something we perceive, hear, see in a vision, or dream contradicts its message then we must reject that thought and stay true to the text of scripture. God speaks in many ways and the clearest way He speaks is through the Bible. Don't let this obligation discourage you from expecting God to speak in the other ways. Just because we must listen cautiously for fresh words from Him does not mean we should stop listening for His voice at all.   

KNOW THE AUTHOR

You and I can read the Bible through two points of view, we either read with the eyes of an orphan or the eyes of a child. You see, God adopted us from the orphanage and made us His family. We are not orphans anymore, we are kids who have a Father. But if we have not adjusted to this exchange we will project an orphan's spirit onto scripture. An orphan will interpret what they read as rejection because they have not experienced the acceptance and love of their Father. An orphan feels abandoned. If you struggle with this, I declare that God is liberating you from an orphan heart and will enable you to read the word with a complete and unbroken heart. Now is our moment to break free with the word "sonship" beaming from the inside!  

"You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Daddy."” (Romans 8:15)

Some of my sweetest moments with God are when I spent time reading His words. But during my teenage years, I read the Bible as an orphan experiencing confusion and distance with each word. Yes, I knew God at the time, but my heart still lived without a Heavenly Father. We empower the lie we believe... and I believed God saw me as worthless. After being touched by the Holy Spirit at age 18 I was changed by the love of God. Now, I read the scripture as a daughter and I understand the God behind the words. Knowing the heart behind what someone is saying will change the way we interpret the words. If we don't know that God speaks as a good Dad then we may misunderstand Him. I remember seeing a ridiculous clip claiming that the Bible is God's journal where He recorded all His hate and anger towards humanity. These people obviously don't know the One Who wrote the Book! The Bible is not God's hate mail. The Bible is a love manifest from a Father who wants His family back. It is the heart cry of a Daddy looking through the streets for His lost kids getting ready to hug them and carry them close. 

As you open your bible pray, "God, help me to read your words with the voice of a Father. I don't want to read your words with the eyes of an orphan. I want the eyes of a daughter, a son, who has a Good Dad! Give me new eyes to see like You see."

Here is the verse which took the orphan out of me and made me a daughter, "May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:18-19)

GOD'S NOT DONE YET

The word of God has stood the test of time. Wars have been waged against it, people burned its pages, try to erase its memory, or change it, but the word of God has outlived every threat. These words are still as powerful as the moment they left the mouth of God. These words have changed history, and they can change us too!  

I strongly encourage you, NEVER close your Bible - keep it open on your table as a reminder that the conversation is not finished. God always has more to say and He is ready to pick up where you left off.

What do you think? Has God ever spoken to you through scripture? Do you have a story to tell of how God made Himself more than just words on a page to you? I would love to hear about your journey in the comments below!

Love, Laurel  

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Want to live in your identity as a child of God? Read this! 

GOD IS GOOD

- By Bill Johnson

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THERE’S MORE!