I used to have a relative who said things like “God told me to buy this dress.” or “God told me to not go out tonight or I would be sorry.”  Every time I heard these types of comments I would “cringe” because I knew my relative was not receiving any direction from God.  It was her own thoughts that guided her and she could not tell the difference between her own desires and the voice of the true living God.

One day this relative called up my mom and said: “I was going to buy a red Chrysler but God told me to buy the blue Ford instead.”  My mother replied: “So what car did you purchase?”  My relative said, “I purchased the Chrysler but I know God didn’t want me to.”

What a bunch of baloney!  It really angers me when people take God to this low-level.  It’s only a way for a person to justify their own actions so they do not need to become responsible for them.  While I agree that God could intervene if He wanted to and command you to buy a Ford instead of a Chrysler – it is highly unlikely this decision would have anything to do with your spiritual life and relationship with Jesus Christ.

But some scoffers will ask, “If God would just talk to us in an audible voice, we could understand what He wants.”  But do you have any idea what you are asking?  I doubt it.

First of all God’s voice is one of power and authority.  Every word that comes out of the mouth of God is sacred.  In fact, God’s voice is so powerful that He spoke everything into existence without lifting a finger.  One word from God and the elements obey Him and form into the matter He commands. For instance, did you know that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead He cried with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth.” (John, Chapter 11, Verse 43.)  God’s voice is so powerful that if He had NOT used the name of Lazarus in His command – every person that had previously died would have come forth.

But let me give you another example.  When the children of Israel were being led through the wilderness under the direction of Moses they also questioned whether God was really speaking to Moses.  Some of the Israelites even accused Moses of making up his own Ten Commandments and not getting direction from God.  So God took care of the situation.  He decided to speak in an audible voice so that every Israelite heard Him.

Here is what the Bible tells us about this incident:

Exodus, Chapter 19, Verses 9 thru 25

“9”: And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 

"10": And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 

"11": And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 

"12": And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 

"13": There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 

"14": And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 

"15": And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 

"16": And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 

"17": And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 

"18": And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 

"19": And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 

"20": And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 

"21": And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 

"22": And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. 

"23": And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 

"24": And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. 

"25": So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Then notice in Verse 21 when God says to Moses: “Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.”  It is a known fact that to look upon the face of God (in our human bodies) means instant death.  God’s light is so bright that you would be blinded and burned up immediately if you even got a glimpse of God.  In fact, Moses was the only person who actually got the opportunity to see God in his human body.  However, God held his hand over Moses’ face to shield him from looking upon His face so he would not die.  (See Bible reference below:)

Exodus, Chapter 33, Verse 23

“And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”

In the meantime, you still have the ability to talk to God and receive direction from Him.  This is made possible through the Holy Spirit that must dwell inside of you in order for you to begin to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  It takes a great deal of prayer and humbling yourself before God before He may talk directly to you.  And when God speaks – you will KNOW it.  You won’t need to question whether God is talking to you or not.  You won’t need to convince yourself that God is really talking to you, when you know deep-down that you question whether it is your own thoughts.

But God knows that many people lack this level of faith and find it impossible to humble themselves before Him.  In these cases, God reaches people through other Christians who do have a rich prayer life and have developed a close relationship with Jesus Christ.  God will cause someone to suddenly appear in the life of this Christian and God will put the words in the mouth of the Christian to deliver His message.  It is an awesome experience when God does this.  I have experienced it many times.  The Holy Spirit takes immediate control of my words and I say things I cannot believe I said.

After the message is delivered I feel joy and happiness inside because it is another way of showing how fortunate I am to have God use me for His purpose.  Think about it this way: If you had a job working directly for the President – that would be an honor wouldn’t it?  Working for Jesus Christ is the highest honor there ever will be.  Besides, I would much rather work for God than the President.  The rewards are eternal life.  All the President can offer me is a salary that is lost the moment I die.

The AV 1611 King James Bible

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