Spirit #16 – When God Speaks

Workings of the Holy Spirit

Courtesy: Dean Williams 2012

God is always speaking. Do we know when to listen? For spiritual Christians, he speaks to us by:

 

1. Spirit (Acts 11:12-Peter; 6:10-Stephen);
2. Angels (Luke 1:26-38-Mary);
3. The mouths of his holy prophets (Luke 1:70-Zacharias);
4. Day or night visions (Acts 11:5-Peter; 16:9, 10-Paul); or,
5. A quickened bible verse (—was this you?).

Sometimes, he troubles our spirit to warn us of unpleasant circumstances (John 13:21-Jesus’ betrayal). If it’s to serve a greater purpose, then we are to prepare because God will not change the situation.

He sends dreams to non-Christian cultures, too. When they don’t listen, he sends the dream to others, and they tell the non-listener (Matt. 27:19-Pilate’s wife to Pilate). God troubles or disturbs their spirit to get them to pay attention to the dream (Gen. 41:8-Pharaoh; Dan. 2:3 -Nebuchadnezzar). Otherwise, it’s a dream easily forgotten upon waking up.

God speaks to the non-spiritual person through natural or physical occurrences, i.e. a gathering storm-cloud at sea (so don’t go out in a boat!)

To everybody, God speaks wisdom in the form of advice, concern, or counsel through the mouths of those who care for us, like our family, friends, relatives, co-workers, and those in authority.

The list is unlimited because God is unlimited! Thus, if we hold strict expectations that God speaks only to Christians, then through our arrogance we’ve shortened God’s reach and limited his mercy to all.

Truthfully? Only our little faith and lack of love blinds us to the mysterious ways of God.

We welcome your comments.

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Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge 1769. Used by permission. All rights reserved.