How does God speak to you? - Part 5

The audible voice of God. 

The Bible gives accounts of God speaking audibly to people. Here are three familiar ones, God speaking to Moses from the burning bush; God calling Samuel in the night; and God speaking to Jesus after He was baptised.

God speaking to Moses from the burning bush

Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of GOD appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.

Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?"

GOD saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

He said, "Yes? I'm right here!"

God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from  your feet. You're standing on holy ground."

Exodus 3:1-5 The Message

God then told Moses that He wanted him to led the Israelites out of Egypt.

God calling to Samuel in the night

The boy Samuel was serving GOD under Eli's direction. This was at a time when the revelation of GOD was rarely heard or seen.  One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad - he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of GOD, where the Chest of God rested.

Then GOD called out, "Samuel, Samuel!"

Samuel answered, "Yes? I'm here." Then he ran to Eli saying, "I heard you call. Here I am."

Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." And so he did.

GOD called again, "Samuel, Samuel!"

Samuel got up and went to Eli, "I heard you call. Here I am."

Again Eli said, "Son, I didn't call you. Go back to bed." (This all happened before Samuel knew GOD for himself. It was before the revelation of GOD had been given to him personally.)

GOD called again, "Samuel!" - the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, "Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am."

That's when I dawned on Eli that GOD was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, "Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say 'Speak, GOD. I'm your servant, ready to listen." Samuel returned to his bed.

Then GOD came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, "Samuel! Samuel!"

Samuel answered, "Speak. I'm your servant, ready to listen."

1 Samuel 3:1-10 The Message

God then told Samuel of His plan to do bring judgement on Eli's family.

God speaking to Jesus after He was baptised.

Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptise him. John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptised, not you!" 

But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it.

The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit - it looked like a dove - descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life." 

Matthew 3:13-17 The Message

If God has spoken to you audibly, it is probably a moment you remember well. That certainly has been my experience. For me, it was a moment in my life that I have revisited many times when things go a little awry, to help myself re-align my thoughts with God's words and stand firm.

The purpose of this post is not to get caught up in the 'have you heard God's audible voice?' but rather to acknowledge that God does speak audibly to some people. And to be open to the possibility that He could speak to you in that way, audibly reminding you that you are chosen, He loves you and He has called you.

And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight! Matthew 3:17 AMP

Of course, He can give you that same message through His word, times of worship, speaking in tongues, dreams and through other people. 

The real question is, do we have ears to hear when He speaks to us?

He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing. Matthew 11:15 AMP