It's God speaking!

Last night, we talked as a family about how we hear God.

Our granddaughter and grandson said they hear God as they worship in song.  Our daughter-in-law said she sometimes hears God through comments from other people.

For me, God often speaks through scripture as I ask him questions in my journal.

Our son said that God is always speaking and I agree with him.

I go back often to God's words to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20:

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me."

The picture that springs to my mind is of Jesus knocking on the door of my mind and heart, asking for entrance.  He wants to talk with me.  But I must hear his voice and I must stop what I'm doing and open the door and invite him in.

In other words, hearing God means being alert to his voice and then taking time to hear what he's saying.

Of course, I must want to hear what he says.  Perhaps I am afraid of what he might say or what he will ask me to do.

That's where my view of God comes in.  Do I believe he really loves me and wants the best for me as the apostle Paul says in Romans 8:28?  If I do, I will listen attentively and with a willing heart.

There is a great example in scripture of a boy who heard God audibly and was puzzled as we are often puzzled (1 Samuel 3).

The boy Samuel was living with Eli the priest as a young helper.  God spoke to Samuel one night and the boy thought it was his master Eli.  This happened a couple of times until Eli realized Samuel was hearing God's voice.  He told Samuel to reply to God: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

From that time on, Samuel listened to God and obeyed what he said.  He shared God's words with the people of Israel, becoming a great prophet.

It's clear to me that God wants us to seek him and what he has to say to us.  Obviously, it is just as important to hear what he has to say to us as to tell him what we want.

Prayer is really a two-way street - approaching him with our praise and concerns and listening to his thoughts.

Opening the door to Jesus can lead to a fulfilling life.