Tag Archives: God’s Voice

How Will God Speak to You Today?

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The thing that amazes me about Joseph was how he was able to discern what God was calling him to do with Mary, with Jesus, and with being the earthly father to Jesus.

So several times before Jesus was born, and then after His birth, a situation would arise, something would happen and decision would need to be made

To marry Mary or not?

To get up and flee from the coming wrath of Herod?

And when a choice like this had to be made, Joseph was able to listen to God and for God and discern what God wanted him and his family to do.  Listen to what happens today in Matthew 2:

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.

Now you’re thinking, come on, Andy!  It was an angel!  Who couldn’t pay attention to an angle!?!

Fair point, I concede. But, even with it being an angel, Joseph had to pay attention.  He had to be listening for God to speak. He had to be receptive to what God had to say to him.  He had to be paying attention.

Today, in our lives, are we paying attention?  Are we listening for God? Are we straining to hear how He may speak?

He may or may not send and angel.  He may send a sermon, a friend, a passage, a note, a song, a thought, a hug, a tear, a whatever. . . . .

I don’t know how God will try to speak to you today.

And, in truth, neither do you.  That’s why you’ve got to pay attention.  Listen for His voice today.  Pay attention.

And then, follow where He leads.

Are you Listening?

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One of today’s passages is one of my absolute favorite passages in all the Bible.  It’s the story of Balaam and his donkey.  This is one of those passages we learn about as kids, one of those passages we talk about as adults, a passage that makes us scratch our head and wonder, what in the world is happening here?

But it’s also a passage that, if we are not careful, we may miss the point of.

This is the passage where Balaam’s donkey talks to him.

Numbers 22 tells us:

28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.  29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”  30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?”  “No,” Balaam admitted.

Now, this passage can cause us to get bogged down in conversation that make cause us to miss the forest for the trees.  We wonder, how did the donkey speak?  What did it sound like?  Could it happen again?  Why a donkey?

While these questions, and other questions are fun to talk about and think about, they may miss the bigger point for you and me.

Did Balaam expect his donkey to talk to him today?  I’d say, probably not.

Did God use the donkey to talk to Balaam?  Yes.

Did Balaam almost miss what God was trying to say and pay the price with his life?  Yes.

So, for us today, the questions is not will a donkey come us to us and start talking. The question is are we listening for God’s voice, in whatever way God chooses to speak to us?

Are we listening for God today.  It’s not that God no longer speaks.  It’s that we don’t always listen.

God doesn’t just speak on Sundays. He doesn’t just speak through preachers, or the Bible, or the normal ways. God will speak to us in whatever way it takes to get our attention.

For Balaam it was through his donkey. What will it be for you today?

Are you listening?  Are you listening for God to speak?

He may choose to speak to you in a way, through a person, you’d least expect it today.

Perhaps a co-worker.  Perhaps your child. Perhaps your parent.  Perhaps though a song.  Perhaps through someone you don’t like.

God will speak today. Maybe through even a donkey.

Are you listening?