How does God try to tell us things today? Are there more ways than Scripture that God uses to speak to us?
Through His Word
[1]The greatest and most powerful way God speaks to us today and tells us what we need to know is through the Bible. The more you read the Bible, the more you know what God is telling you. We don’t have to search for His will. It’s found in the 66 books of the Bible. If you use the Bible as the standard of what you think, then you will more easily know what God is telling you or trying to tell you. It’s not hard. Just trust and obey what is in the written Word. Most of things in this life are not really “gray areas” at all. They are black and white, like abstaining from sexual immorallity (1 Thess 4:3-7). The main things are the plain things in Scripture, and the main things are the plain things. These things we know are God speaking to us. He speaks through His Word. That is the clearest and most accurate way God speaks to us and tells us what we need to know.
Through His Church
God often uses the people in the church to tell us what we need to know or to try and tell us something. Jesus gave a model for telling our brothers and sisters what they need to know if they are living in sin (Matt 18:15-20). He often uses believers to come along side of us and point out sinful ways that we might be involved in (Luke 17:3; Gal 6:1; James 5:19-20). God uses people and His Word to communicate what we need to hear. He tells us things through people who believe and not through those who do not have the Spirit of God. Listening to and taking worldly counsel is like building your house on sand.
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Contrary to His Word?
I have often heard people say that God “spoke to them” but it was contrary to what the Scriptures say. God will never, ever speak to us by His Spirit and ask us to do something that is contrary to biblical doctrine. For example, I man I was counseling once told me that God spoke to him that he is to divorce his wife. I asked him if his wife was committing adultery. He said no. I told him that God hates divorce and except for adultery, there should be no divorce because he didn’t have biblical grounds for it. Why would God “speak” to him and tell him that He wanted him to divorce his wife when the Bible clearly teaches that this would be sin? If you feel that God speaks to you, and I don’t mean in an audible voice you can hear, and you believe that He is telling you to do something that the Bible is against, don’t believe it! That’s a lie. It’s likely the Enemy or from your own selfish desires.
“Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” – 1 Kings 19:11-12
It Glorifies God
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We know that it is always God’s will that His name be glorified. If you believe God is telling you to do something and it will result in His being glorified, it could well be that God is speaking to you. A good example is found in Psalm 145:11-12 where it says “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men God’s mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” If you are endeavoring to do something for God’s glory, then it is very like God trying to tell you something.
God Does Speak to Us
One of the most overlooked things that believers do is to be seeking the will of God and wanting Him to speak to them but what they don’t realize is that God has already spoken to them and it is in His Word, the Bible. God’s Word is alive, active, living, and penetrates the stony, human heart and makes the simple wise. Why do we seek to hear God in a quiet, still voice when he boldly and plainly speaks to us in His Word. If you’re not reading the Bible regularly, then don’t expect God to speak to you in a voice because you are not even hearing Him speak to you in the Scriptures.
Exodus 33:11 – “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”
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Seek Godly Counsel
Sometimes, you need another set of ears from a close and trusted Christian friend, counselor or pastor to see if what you believe God is speaking to you is the Enemy or is God Himself. The Bible says “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Prov 11:14). The Christian life is not intended to be a solo act but one in which we are connected to other believes and be in community and fellowship so that we can gain wisdom through their experience. If you really want to know if it’s God’s voice or not, bounce it off of a couple of Christians and see what they think. It surely can’t hurt.
Conclusion
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: 10 Great Examples of When God Spoke and Speaks [5]
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.