The Many Ways God Speaks

Job 33:12-18

¹⁴ For God does speak—now one way, now another—

    though no one perceives it.

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,

    when deep sleep falls on people

    as they slumber in their beds,

¹⁶ he may speak in their ears

    and terrify them with warnings,

¹⁷ to turn them from wrongdoing

    and keep them from pride,

¹⁸ to preserve them from the pit,

    their lives from perishing by the sword.

Though Job’s friend Elihu misses the mark when it comes to understanding Job’s suffering—arguing with him and pushing for repentance instead of offering comfort—he is right about one thing: God is greater than man. He does not owe us answers to our prayers, and he is not required to respond how or when we want. God is not obligated to explain himself to us in any way. And yet, he still chooses to—sometimes through flawed people and imperfect circumstances. What a privilege that the God of the universe wants to speak with us at all!  

God is faithful in answering our prayers—desperate pleas for mercy, angry rants, and sobs rife with doubt included. But those answers do not always come in the ways we expect. He may reveal himself through an audible voice, a dream, or a vision. Sometimes it’s through a Scripture that strikes a chord with us, a friend’s encouragement, or a gut feeling we just can’t shake. Other times, it’s through a situation that forces us to step back and pay attention. God is not limited in how he reaches out to us.  

But if we’re only listening for one kind of answer, then we might miss the message he’s sending through a different channel. However he chooses to speak, we can rest assured that his words are always meant for our good. His voice guides us along the sometimes foggy path of righteousness and warns us away from dangers like pride, deceit, and disobedience. The question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are listening.  

Listening for God can be like adjusting a radio—static surrounds us, but when we find the right frequency, clarity cuts through the noise. God’s voice is always broadcasting; we just need to be attuned to it. Let us become people who tune our hearts to the frequency of heaven—ready to receive whatever God chooses to say, however he chooses to say it. Let us listen with expectation, respond with obedience, and joyfully proclaim what we hear. 

● What are some different ways God has spoken to you?  

● What distractions or expectations might be keeping you from hearing God’s voice today? 

● What’s one way you can quiet the noise this week to better hear God’s voice?