This is a question that I get asked time and again…”How do I know that God is calling me into His service?”. When God would call someone in the Old Testament into His service, they would hear His voice or they would hear it from one of His prophets. The Old Testament people called into service, would hear an actual voice, telling them exactly what God wanted them to do, where to go, and what to say.
Since God has been “silent”, or not actually speaking His own voice to us for several centuries now, people today are asking this question, because they are expecting to “hear” a voice telling them what to do.
We know that God “speaks to us” when we read the scriptures. Some times, when you are at a Worship Service, the minister may “speak directly to you” while preaching his sermon. Some would say that this is how God will speak to us today. Problem with this way of thinking is, not everyone goes to church! Yet, God will use the most unlikely people to do His work, as was demonstrated throughout “The Story” by Randy Frazee.
So, when someone asks me, “How does God speak to us today?”, I can sum it up in several ways. To begin with, you might be listening to a song on the radio (or MP3 player, cell phone, whatever you use), and be pondering a situation you are facing or something you are worried about, and then without knowing it, you hear your answer…in the lyrics of the song you are listening to. That is God speaking to you!
You may be having a conversation with a friend and they quote a Bible verse or tell you something they heard or read and all of the sudden, you have your answer. That is God speaking to you!
God speaks to us in many ways, especially when He wants to call you into His service. Let me give you an example.
While sitting in the Doctor’s office the other day, the Doctor was going over some test results with my wife. I am sitting there listening and then all of the sudden, he stops, turns to me and starts asking me questions. At first, I wasn’t sure where this was leading, but after a few minutes, the Doctor told me that he wanted me to join a special medical unit with The Indiana Guard Reserve (a state ran cousin of the National Guard) and wanted me for my skills that I can bring to this unit.
Now, keep in mind, that this was the second time that I had met this Doctor and we had never actually conversed or talked much the first time. Yet, he knew that I had some skills to offer. How did he know this? This was definitely God speaking to me, through the Doctor and calling me into His service.
You see, we might never hear His voice directly, but he will get us His message, one way or another. When God calls you, will be ready to answer the call? Will you even know that God is calling you? You will, if you will just listen for His voice!
Until next time, Be a Blessing and Be Blessed!
Rev. Dr. Rob White, Senior Pastor
