God is Always Speaking...
Our God reveals Himself to us in many ways. The primary ways that I hear the voice of God is through His creation, through his written word, and by the whispers of the Holy Spirit to my heart.
In the first of this three-part blog series I spoke about God speaking to me through His marvelous creation. Hearing God’s voice through His written word is the second part of the series.
Standing in Awe of God’s Word.
I stood in a small room in The British Library and quietly cried big crocodile tears unexpectedly. As I walked among the most revered treasured documents in the Treasures Room, near the back of the room two rows of glass cases stood inauspiciously without anyone around them.
When I saw the label, Codex Sinaiticus, my heart stopped. It is dated from the 4th century and is the earliest Greek manuscript of the entire Bible that exists.
Right next to that Greek manuscript is Codex Alexandrinus, the other most famous, valuable, and oldest copy of the entire Bible from the 5th century.
Within a few feet of those books were a Gutenberg Bible made on the first printing press invented and the Tyndale Bible, the first Bible printed in the English language.
That moment was powerful and overwhelming because I realized that I have given my life for what is written in these documents. These are the copies of the Bible that informed the translation and the Bible I read every day.
God’s Word Is Holy, Living, and Active.
I realize that these are just ancient written documents, but they represent God’s very words; they are holy, living and active – able to speak into any situation and lead us into life to the fullest.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” - Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
God speaks to me through His written word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit highlights and causes certain phrases and verses to jump off the page to instruct my heart and give me direction. Hebrews 4 tells us that God’s word, His Logos, is living and active and able to cut through our defenses and excuses. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that all Scripture is God breathed and useful.
Knowing God's "Logos" is Important.
The Greek word “Logos” is the term for “Word” used in many places in the Bible, so the content of the Bible would be referred to as the Logos. It is the Truth and a guide for how to live our lives.
- It reveals to us who God is and His rescue plan for humans
- It helps us understand God’s character
- It is the final authority by which all other things are measured
- It helps us recognize what God’s voice sounds like
The Bible Is a Guidebook for Radical Supernatural Living.
It’s important to read about the miracles and power that God has – realizing that God is still moving in these ways today. Imagining yourself doing similar things will begin to transform your mind.
All spoken “Words” that we think are coming from God must be filtered through the “Logos” Word of God. No divine message will stand in opposition to God’s character and ways.
When I am reading the Bible and a verse jumps off the page to my heart – the “logos” becomes the timely spoken Word of God – referred to by another Greek word: “Rhema.”
Holy Spirit Reminds Us of Jesus' Words.
Jesus tells us in John 14 that the Holy Spirit will remind us of His logos. Sometimes God will lead us to a verse or a passage. He even sometimes whispers a Bible verse address in our ear and we get to go on a treasure hunt to see what He’s saying to us.
The Bible Reveals Jesus' Character and Love for Us.
I read the Bible so I can get to know Jesus. It is a beautiful thing to soak up who He is by reading His Word.
“When we come to Scripture it’s not a question of learning a subject but of steeping ourselves in a personality.” - C.S. Lewis
I also read the Bible as a love letter that God has written to me.
Back in 2008 I wrote a song speaking from God’s perspective, inviting us to read His love letter. His heart longs for us to know that we are His own, we are loved, and we are never alone.
If you want to hear the song Love Letter the link is here:
This song also talks about His (Rhema) words that He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17). I’ll write more about that in the third part of this series which will publish on Saturday.
