N
newton3003
Guest
We know that God spoke directly to people in the Old Testament. In the New Testament He speaks to us through Jesus. In many ways he speaks to us today.
For instance, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” God speaks to us through the Scriptures. For whatever reason, God does not see it necessary to speak directly to each of us like He spoke to people in the Old Testament. So, whether we’re window shopping in a mall, or driving in our car, or sitting down at a Thanksgiving dinner, we should not expect God to suddenly fill the place we’re in with His voice, speaking to us. We could speculate as to why he no longer speaks directly to us so, but we should be mindful that Proverbs 3:5 tells us to put all our trust in God and to try not to understand him. But inasmuch as Proverbs 3:5 comes from the Scriptures, it’s as if God Himself is telling us to trust him more than our understanding. And God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, “...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…”
But apart from what God breathed out in the Scriptures, does He speak to us today, and if so, in what manner? When my sister and I were very young, I heard her ask our Rabbi how we know that God exists. The Rabbi answered by saying, “If at night you open the refrigerator and see a dish of jello and you’re tempted to eat it, but you remember at that point your mother telling you that she is saving it, and so you close the refrigerator door without taking any of it, that is God speaking to you through your conscience.” As Deuteronomy 8:5 says “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you,” and as 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…For the LORD…looks on the heart,” so anyone who believes in Him will have Him in their conscience; and that is where God speaks to them.
God may also speak to us in our dreams directly. He appeared in the dreams of people in the Old Testament, and since we are capable of dreaming about anything, it isn’t far-fetched that we would dream that God spoke to us. How would we know it is God and not someone our minds cooked up? We can be sure, if what we hear in our dreams is consistent with what we know about the Word of God. If what we hear is not the teachings we received, in the context described in 2 John 1:10, then we know it is not God speaking to us.
And suppose you window shop in a mall and you hear a voice over the loudspeaker saying, something like, “I am the Lord your God who has offered you an inheritance of Abraham and who brought his grandson Jacob’s people out of Egypt, and who sent my son that everyone may be saved, and I wish you well,” is it truly God speaking? Well, that could be a tough call. You see, with all you may know, you may think you are sure that that is not God speaking. But who is to say that, considering the words the individual spoke in the loudspeaker, that God was not speaking to us through that individual?
For instance, as 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” God speaks to us through the Scriptures. For whatever reason, God does not see it necessary to speak directly to each of us like He spoke to people in the Old Testament. So, whether we’re window shopping in a mall, or driving in our car, or sitting down at a Thanksgiving dinner, we should not expect God to suddenly fill the place we’re in with His voice, speaking to us. We could speculate as to why he no longer speaks directly to us so, but we should be mindful that Proverbs 3:5 tells us to put all our trust in God and to try not to understand him. But inasmuch as Proverbs 3:5 comes from the Scriptures, it’s as if God Himself is telling us to trust him more than our understanding. And God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, “...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…”
But apart from what God breathed out in the Scriptures, does He speak to us today, and if so, in what manner? When my sister and I were very young, I heard her ask our Rabbi how we know that God exists. The Rabbi answered by saying, “If at night you open the refrigerator and see a dish of jello and you’re tempted to eat it, but you remember at that point your mother telling you that she is saving it, and so you close the refrigerator door without taking any of it, that is God speaking to you through your conscience.” As Deuteronomy 8:5 says “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you,” and as 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…For the LORD…looks on the heart,” so anyone who believes in Him will have Him in their conscience; and that is where God speaks to them.
God may also speak to us in our dreams directly. He appeared in the dreams of people in the Old Testament, and since we are capable of dreaming about anything, it isn’t far-fetched that we would dream that God spoke to us. How would we know it is God and not someone our minds cooked up? We can be sure, if what we hear in our dreams is consistent with what we know about the Word of God. If what we hear is not the teachings we received, in the context described in 2 John 1:10, then we know it is not God speaking to us.
And suppose you window shop in a mall and you hear a voice over the loudspeaker saying, something like, “I am the Lord your God who has offered you an inheritance of Abraham and who brought his grandson Jacob’s people out of Egypt, and who sent my son that everyone may be saved, and I wish you well,” is it truly God speaking? Well, that could be a tough call. You see, with all you may know, you may think you are sure that that is not God speaking. But who is to say that, considering the words the individual spoke in the loudspeaker, that God was not speaking to us through that individual?