God is constantly speaking to us, but most do not recognize it, and therefore do not respond to it. It is vital that we learn to hear and to listen to what God is saying to us. Ignorance diminishes relationship while intimacy enhances it.
When we are attentive to God’s person and purposes, we become progressively and increasingly aware that He uses multiple mediums and means to communicate with us. He reveals Himself from the wide cosmos to the personal conscience. He makes Himself known in circumstances and consequences. He will speak through a scent or any other sensation, through a dream or an encounter with another person.
It is important to realize that God’s preferred way of speaking to us is through the Scriptures. They are more authoritative than any other medium and the ultimate test for knowing that God is speaking to us. Through the Word the Holy Spirit provides us confidence that the content and quality are the voice of God. God will never speak to us in a way that conflicts with or violates His Word.
Jesus makes the statement, “Those with ears to hear, let them hear.” In the New Testament “hearing” represents all the other senses. The Greek root word for hearing is our word “acoustic,” referring to the properties or qualities of enhanced sound. The Greek root word for obedience includes a prefix of hyper magnification to “acoustic.” When God speaks, we should listen with intention. If we want to hear Him with greater clarity, let us obey His Word. If we want a deeper relationship with Him, let us pray…He’s always listening.