“Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.”

- Jeremiah 10:1

Most of the creatures that God created on earth are nonverbal in that they lack the ability to engage in speech. Humans are unique among the creatures of the world in that we share God’s attribute of speech. The Lord, the God of Scripture, is the God who speaks. Impersonal things do not speak but a person does. God is personal and he shows his personality by revealing himself to people through speaking. The Lord uses words to express himself - his thoughts, feelings, and promises - to his people. He did not have to speak. Indeed, he could have left us completely in the dark about who he is and what he would do but by his grace he has chosen to reveal himself to us. And while we do not hear from him immediately today, we can hear from him through the mediated revelation of the Bible. If prayer is us speaking to God, the Bible is God speaking to us.

So how does this apply to you? Many people in moments of crisis cry out: “God, speak to me. If only, I might hear your voice.” But that is why he has spoken through his prophets, apostles and finally through Jesus Christ - so that we might hear his voice clearly and accurately. In fact, reading the Bible is the same thing as hearing his voice. Scripture is the written voice of God. This is why the author of Hebrews writes, “The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). He writes this because the Bible is not a dead or inanimate set of printed sheets of paper. Rather, it is dynamic and powerful because it is the very word of God. So if you want to hear God’s voice, read his Word. If you want to discover God’s heart and mind, pay attention to his Book. If you want to encounter the Creator of all things, open his diary. He went through great lengths, speaking through various people to make himself known to you through the Scriptures. Take and read.

For Jesus,
Pastor Mark