While I Was Speaking FOR God, God Spoke TO Me
I have to admit, I’m never quite sure what to think when someone says that God spoke to them. There are many examples where the supposed message must have gotten a bit garbled because what God allegedly promised didn’t happen. Look no further than the recent predictions by several high-profile Christians who announced that God told them Donald Trump would get reelected.
Although I’ve never heard God’s voice audibly, I’ve experienced maybe six or eight times when I felt God undeniably communicated directly with me. This was either through a profound sense of his presence accompanying a message laser-focused for me at that precise moment or through a series of incredible circumstances that lined up so clearly that there was no missing the point. (My recent blog about how God led us to buy the California vacation house falls in this latter category.)
Even though clear and direct messages are rare, I have also experienced the Holy Spirit frequently communicating thoughts and ideas that have the fingerprints of God all over them. Although I can’t say with 100% certainty that these are always from the Lord, over the decades as I have followed these promptings, I have learned to recognize and trust them.
I had just such an experience a few weeks ago when, on the Sunday after Christmas, I had the privilege of delivering the message in all three services at our church. One of my main points was distinguishing among three attitudes about our relationship with God:
“I have to” – I “have to” obey the rules, tithe, read the Bible, pray, etc. This drudgery often results in cheerless legalism.
“I want to” – This is better, but still includes an element of “performing for God” because he expects me to.
“I get to” – This recognizes the great privilege we have to live according to the way God intended us to.
For the “I get to” part, I was rattling off a list of things I get to do:
I get to learn more about God by reading the Bible.
I get to use the resources he has given me to help others understand God’s love.
I get to be his representative here to help other people see how awesome God is.
I get to tell other people how Jesus has changed my life.
During the third service as I mentioned, “I get to talk to the God of the universe through prayer,” I felt the Holy Spirit telling me I was highlighting the wrong part of that sentence. Instead of saying I get to talk to God, the emphasis should be that I get to talk to the God of the universe. Think about that. I get to have a relationship with the one who:
created absolutely everything in the world
holds it all together
knows every time a sparrow dies
loved me enough that he sent his son Jesus to die for my sins
inexplicably touched my heart and changed my life
This insight gave me a tiny inking into how Job must have felt when God asked him where Job was when God laid the foundations of the earth, if Job could send lightning bolts on their way, whether Job could bring forth the constellations in their seasons, and so much more (Job 38-40).
This is the God I get to know personally. What an incredible thought! Think through the implications of the fact that this is who you get to communicate with.
So, yes, God spoke to me as I was speaking for him. And I got to experience that.