Hearing From God

2 Timothy 3:16-17



Has anyone seen the new movie “Dear John”? I have a dear friend who often goes with me to “chick flicks” but we opted out of this one. Why? Well, I read the book and while I would venture to guess that the movie, for draw factor, does not end as the book did in sadness, it got the thumbs down from us for big screen viewing. In an effort to not give the movie/book away I will say that much of the story centers on letters written between John and his girlfriend to include a “dear John” letter. Have you ever received a “dear John or dear Jane” letter. You know, the one that says, “Please don’t write again, I’ve moved on with my life”. Sometimes letters are not welcome things, even by way of text messages, emails or phone calls. The words we read or hear are sometimes not easy. That’s not the case with the letters written to us from God. You see, God wrote us a letter spanning the centuries and He tells us that we can hear from him daily by reading it over and over again.

God’s letter will never be a “dear John” letter. It isn’t a letter we put away and never desire to read again. Nor is it a letter we dread receiving. God even tells us it is “living and breathing”. God’s letter contains words of encouragement, it gives us “a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), it is also full of “instruction and useful one way or another” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Many of us long to “hear from God.” As we struggle in our day to day decisions we pray for God’s voice to give us clear direction. In decisions that affect our here and now or our future we long to “know” the right direction or course of action. We often search for our answers in conversations with friends, and family, in articles or books we read or programs we watch. All along, the answers are written in letters bound in a book given to us long ago through the inspired Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:17 tells us “using the scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having all that is needed to do any good work.” The word “all” here means “entire”, it encompasses every word written by God through man and recorded in the book we call “the Holy Bible”.

So, if you want to know God and discern His voice from your own you have to get to know His written word. Priscilla Shirer in her study “He Speaks to Me” says “The problem is not with God’s communication, the problem is with our ability to listen clearly. The foundation for hearing God speak is knowing and believing in the absolute truth of the Bible.” You want to truly hear God, get to know his letters to you.

Scripture tells us to “write God’s word on our hearts”, to teach it to our children and talk about it when we sit or walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 goes on to say we should wear it on our hands and write it on our foreheads, doors and gates. In other words, get to know God’s word, teach it to others and then live by what it says because it’s what you know.

So, next time you long to “hear from God” as Joyce Meyer says “go to the throne, not the phone”. God’s words to you are written in scarlet letters and bound for all eternity. Hearing from Him is as easy as reading a letter written to you long ago from a dear, dear friend. The beauty of His letters is they still apply today, he longs to know you and reveal himself to you with an everlasting letter of love (John 14:21).