How does God speak to you?

That is what I was asked this morning by a lady I had just met. I smiled, because to me that is one of the best ways of sharing God; by telling what He has done in my life. It is personal, people can usually relate, and it is in a way that is real and comprehendable to them. But I have to say I can't remember any other time that someone has asked me that question. It was kind of odd. She had made the comment to me that she was where God wanted her to be and doing what God wanted her to do. After hearing that and assuming she was a Christian, I asked her what church she went to... the conversation didn't go much further than that before she asked me "How does God speak to you".

Let me back up to this morning for a minute; my daily Bible verse from Biblegateway.com was this:
"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow "fall on the earth," and to the rain shower "be a mighty downpour." Job 37:5-6

When I read that verse this morning, I thought to myself... I really like that, and I will add it to my favorite Bible verse page. Then after my interaction with this lady, I opened my computer up and there was that verse right in front of me "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways"

Madison told me this morning that every time she turns around today, she keeps seeing Jeremiah 29:11 - it was in her morning bible study, it was on my coffee mug this morning, she found it on a piece of paper while looking for something... I told her "sounds like God is speaking to you" That was before anyone was even awake and moving this morning (except Matt who was already gone to work).

(Warning - do not read this if you do not have Steven Curtis Chapman's new CD and are planning on buying it, and want to see this for yourself)
Then I opened my CD that my wonderful husband brought me yesterday; Steven Curtis Chapman's new CD "beauty will rise". As I opened the case, I saw the CD - it was a copy of the picture he found in his daughter Maria's room the day that she died. Then I took the CD out and behind the CD is a full copy of the picture with the word SEE written as a cloud in the sky. If you remember him telling the story, Maria had drawn a picture of a flower with 6 petals, and had only colored in one of them... on the paper was written the word "see"; to which Steven said she had never written this word before. He heard God telling him through Maria's picture to "See"... to See that she was in Heaven and happy... to see God and His plan. What a POWERFUL way for God to speak to Maria's family through their grief!! It gave me goose bumps to see this picture.

God has spoken to me in so many ways, maybe I will take the next several posts to post examples of different ways and different times God has spoken to me. Sometimes it is like what is described in Job 37; it is loud like Thunder, no mistaking it is God, no mistaking what He wants me to do. Sometimes it is more like a whisper that I have to pay close attention to in order to fully understand. Sometimes it is as if He gives me bits and pieces over time, with the fullness of what He wants me to understand not coming to me for months or even years. Most important - He does speak to me. I have never heard his "voice" but there have been times that I completely understood the exact words or phrase He was giving to me.

I was saved from my sin when I trusted in God through faith - believing without seeing; since then, He has drawn me closer to Him by revealing more of Himself, and more of His plan for my life to me, little bits at a time through "seeing" "hearing" "experiencing" more of God in many different ways.

Jesus, may I hear You when You speak to me, help me to listen and obey. Help me to see when you are at work in my life so that I can follow you and give you the glory for it. When the times come that it seems that I can't find you, don't let me give up on our game of hide and seek... as I seek You, draw me closer to You, and when I find You, pick me up and give me a big hug. Open my eyes that I may see; open my ears that I may hear; open my heart that I may follow you without fear wherever you may lead me.