God Communicates: We Respond

Self-expression is inherent in the very nature of the relational Community, Father, Son and Spirit. God spoke creation into existence and walked with Adam in the Garden (Genesis 1:28; 3:8). John calls Jesus the Word (John 1:1+14). And God not only “spoke” (past tense), but “God is still speaking” today, at times outside Scripture, although never contradictory to Scripture. In Psalm 19, David reveals that God is communicating to us through creation (1-6), Scripture (7-11), & through our inner inclinations (12-14). Jesus could only do what He heard and saw the Father doing (John 14:10; 5:19), and the Father sends us as He sent Jesus (20:21). Our Father longs to communicate with His beloved children, just like He communicated with His Son while on earth. By nature, God is continuously articulate. Expect Him to speak to you in a variety of ways. For me, He normally speaks through a fleeting thought.

And words have living potential, life bringing and life releasing (James 1:18; John 6:63). “God spoke in a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years” (A.W. Tozer, “The Pursuit of God”). God initiates and we respond. So God’s speaking voice points to our responsibility…to hear and respond. Look at James 1:19-27 from this perspective. Quick obedience is a key to healthy growth.

God communicates through people (1:19-21): Why does James call us to be quick to listen? God often disguises Himself as people to speak to us! Practice “L-shaped listening,” listening intently to the words and heart of the speaker, and also to the Holy Spirit to see what He might have for that person and/or for us to reveal the righteous life that God desires. When another blocks my agenda or goal, my self-centered anger flares up, which blinds me to God’s plan. What grows in darkness feeds on decay. Bring it into the light and the light will kill the decay. Humbly welcoming God’s words through another releases insight to act on it.

God communicates through Scripture (1:22-27): The primary and clearest way God communicates with His beloved children is through the Bible. How is your daily habit of soaking in God’s Love-letter? If we had a significant other who wrote us a letter, we would rip it open as soon as we received it, and devour it…over and again, listening for every nuance.

We respond (1:21+22-27): Act on what God says with wholehearted allegiance to Jesus. It’s the only reasonable response to a Father who so dearly loves us and has our best on His heart. James is practical, and gives us three concrete expressions of obedience:

     1) taming our tongue,
     2) caring for the needy, and

     3) keeping our lives pure (1:26-27).

This is Reflection #19 in my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com