How does God talk to us?

I open my Bible and listen to God. He tells me what I should do. 

I know that He loves me. He hears when I pray. And all of His stories are true.

This is one of my favorite things to say as I open up teaching time with kiddos.  I love that repetition is accepted with little ones--because we ALL can stand to hear things more than once.  My heart swells when they begin to say it with me.

If I can help them learn that God's Word is true, then they are better prepared to hear from God.  I pray that whenever I teach from God's Word, I can relay my awe that God has SPOKEN to us.  I don't ever want to take for granted that He has granted us special revelation.

We can ALL see God's general revelation--His creation.  Some see it and don't think about the Intelligent Designer that has made it all.  They take it for granted.

Worse--some deny that He even exists.  That baffles me.  Whenever I see a beautiful painting or taste and see an exquisite cake, I ask, "Who painted that?"  or "Who baked and decorated that?"

I NEVER think, "Oh, the paint was left unattended long enough that we now have this masterpiece."
(Never mind that the paint is in the room to begin with.)

My first assumption is that there is a God--because I SEE what He has made.

Psalm 19:1-2The heavens declare the glory of God;    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.2 Day after day they pour forth speech;    night after night they reveal knowledge.

Some think He made the world and just left us spinning.  I believe (because of evidence) that He is still quite involved with His creation.

Faith is opposed to SIGHT, not to EVIDENCE.  You don't have to check your brain at the church door.

Over the years, God has entrusted to faithful men to record the words we now have.  And because He is God, He has entrusted others to preserve them.  And even others to protect them from "extra" books.  He is the Almighty, Creator of the Universe.  Flawed and limited humans are not going to trump His plan.

So for me, it's settled.  And I can TRUST that what is written in the Bible is all true because God doesn't lie (because He keeps the promises He makes).

The Bible contains God's words to us.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

Although we all have our own unique experiences with God, we can trust that God's Word will tell us and confirm for us WHO HE IS.

So, like the cartoon from yesterday shows, we can each experience a different attribute of God more prominently (His love, His mercy, His holiness, His wisdom, His power, etc).  However, we can trust that God's Word will calibrate us and give us a bigger and more complete picture.

Reading and studying God's Word is critical to our prayer life.

The word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong. E.M. Bounds

God's side of the conversation is His Word.  It is living and active--He knows what we need to read, what we've been asking, from where in His Word we're going to hear a quote or a message.  He is SOVEREIGN--and uses His Word to guide us.

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

He also orchestrates our circumstances in response to our prayers. Sometimes we are beneficiaries of someone else's answered prayer and our faith doesn't grow (but that's another topic).

Asking expectantly and watching for God's response--in His Word (whether I read it or it is taught to me) and/or my circumstances--grows my faith.  It deepens my relationship with Him.

Isn't that what conversation is supposed to do?


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