Hearing from God has been a recurring theme for me lately. It’s come up in sermons at church, in my personal devotions, during Bible study discussions, while reading with Charleston—in other words, too many places to be a coincidence. When a topic comes up so frequently for me, I can’t help but take notice, and when it revolves around such a pivotal topic as hearing from the Creator of the Universe. . . well, my ears are definitely perked.
I believe that God is always making His presence known, that He always wants to be in communication with us, but we are not always listening for Him. To use an analogy from Leonard Sweet, God’s radio signals are always there, we just need to tune our radios to the right frequency in order to pick them up.
God speaks to us in different ways according to the needs and seasons of each individual. In this season of my life, I have been hearing God speak most clearly through Scripture, particularly passages I have memorized. The act of committing verses to memory is sometimes tedious and can feel too much like a checklist item and not enough like relationship with the Lord. But once these words are hidden in my heart, I reap the benefits for years to come. As I keep showing up for this important practice, I pave the way for transformation to take place. And this transformation helps me walk the narrow road that leads to an abundant life that God offers us.
John Eldredge touches on this in his devotional: “The more you know the Scriptures and the more they become a part of you, the more you’ll find that you can walk with God and you’ll give the Holy Spirit a library within you to draw upon.“
I can’t begin to count the number of times God has spoken to me through His own words that are camping out in the crevices of my memory. Passages I’d thought I had forgotten pop into my head when I need them most, and the Lord uses them to point me to some new revelation or encouragement. Often the messages He teaches me through these verses had never occurred to me at the time of memorization; only later was God able to tap into that memory work to teach me the right lesson at just the right moment.
My memory passage for this month reminds me to open my eyes to the miracles that are hidden in Scripture. Hidden is a key word here: these miracles might not be apparent at first reading or even second or third, but if I continue to sit with the words and let their meaning germinate within me, the Lord will make these wonders known to me in time.
At family camp last month, our pastor talked about the importance of keeping a soft heart. When we hear God but don’t act, our hearts slowly begin to harden and gradually our ears close to the tones of God’s voice. If we want to maintain pliable hearts and receptive ears, we must not only listen for God and actively hear Him, but also respond.
Heavenly Father, as we meditate on your Word, we pray that you will open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to the miracle-wonders hidden in your Love Letter to us. Tutor us in your wise ways, and fortify us with courage to align with your will and act in obedience to truth.
