Take a look Around

From time to time I hear great stories about how God speaks to people in obvious but unexpected ways. Two come to mind. One time someone who was struggling to connect with God cried out that He give them a sign! While they were driving home that very day they noticed a huge billboard with a Scripture passage on it that spoke directly to their need. They had driven past that spot hundreds of times before and never “saw” that billboard before that moment. Another time a person was struggling with a big decision they had to make and asked God to make it clear to them. They were driving in the country and said, “God, if this decision I am making is the right one – let me see a deer along the side of the road”. Within a matter of minutes they looked and spotted a deer just off the highway. “That’s too much of a coincidence” they said to God. “If this is really you, let me see another one.” Almost immediately they saw a second deer trotting along the side of the roadway! 

These are great examples of how God sometimes communicates with us. Listening to God doesn’t always mean we’re waiting to hear an audible voice inside our heads. It means tuning ourselves to His wavelength. It means paying attention – with ears and eyes open, mind and heart prepared to ponder and receive. God can use any variety of means to make His mind known to us. But we’ll miss it if we’re not looking for it.

The Patriarch Job complained that God wasn’t responding to him in the midst of his suffering. His friend, Elihu, disagreed. Elihu corrected Job by saying, “You’re wrong Job, dead wrong. God always answers, one way or another, even when people don’t recognize his presence.” (Job 33:12-14 The Message). Elihu then went on to give some concrete examples: In a dream, a vision at night. Or through pain and suffering. Or by an angel, sent to help us make sense of our situation. Elihu says, “This is the way God works, over and over again. He pulls our souls back from destruction so we’ll see the light” (Job 33:29-30 The Message).

Many years ago I had a boss who lived outside of the city in a country home. These were the early days of satellite TV and he had a huge satellite dish outside of his house pointed up into the sky. There was a little control knob inside the house which you used to manoeuver the dish to improve the reception. Because the planet is moving you had to do this frequently! It made watching TV rather frustrating I’m sure.

God may use our circumstances to speak to us, but in order for us to hear what He’s saying we have to be tuned into Him. Could it be He’s trying to get our attention even now? What’s going on in your and my life that should be drawing us to fall on our knees and seek God (verse 26)? What could we be doing differently to help us pay better attention? Being still so we can hear God doesn’t mean we’re looking for the spooky or the supernatural – it means we’re being discerning and reflective. That way when God does speak to us, we won’t miss it.