Daily devotion – Hearing God speak
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
When I was a small boy, I used to read a book written by Enid Blyton called “The Magic Faraway Tree” each night. For those who have not read it, it is simply the story of a group of strange characters who live in this special tree which is visited continually by strange worlds and people. With my vivid imagination this book was an exciting read of adventure each time I opened it.
But now as a grown man serving the Lord Jesus Christ with all my life, I now approach the Word of God, 66 books, but one author, with a far greater excitement and wonder. But this time, I am reading of real life miracles and of the greatness of the Creator of the Universe, who gave His Son Jesus Christ, to die for my sins on a cruel Cross at Calvary.
My love for the Bible is not due to the stories it contains, the battles and the victories, though they are exciting. No, my love for the Bible is due to my love for my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As I read His Word He speaks to me about my life, my future. As I read it it each day it reveals more and more of what He is like.
In the first verses of Hebrews chapter 1, the writer of Hebrews tells us that God used to speak to His creation in various ways in the past. Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Now God speaks to us through His Word – that is His Son Jesus Christ – John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
So many people desire God to speak to them, but they ignore the very manner in which He communicates now with us. Through our reading of His precious Word, the Bible.
I want to both challenge and invite you to begin reading God’s Word systematically, a book at a time, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and before you read, praying that God will speak to you at this time. You will be amazed at how much God has for you that He wants to speak to you about!
It will change your life forever and you will always from that time on, approach the Bible just like an excited young child, with a heart that will soak in all that God wants to reveal to you.
When was the last time you believed God spoke to you about Himself or His plans for you?
The correlation of such communication will be predicated on when you read His Word last with the faith of a child eager to know Him!
Father’s and mothers, do not neglect the reading of God’s Word to your children who are perhaps too young to be able to read it for themselves. But also read it to your teens, you will be amazed at how clear God will speak to you and your family at such times!