When God speaks through People
“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” - Luke 10:16
This week, based on Luke 10:21, we’re looking at what Christian academics call the theology of revelation, namely, how God speaks to us. There are a half a dozen main ways God speaks to us - first and foremost and most importantly through the person of Jesus Christ. Then there’s the specific revelation of scripture and the general revelation of nature, and further down the list are things like learning how to discern open doors and closed doors from various circumstances.
The rest of the week we’ll be looking at two of the other main ways God speaks. The first is through people. Reread the verse at the top of this devotion, and it’s pretty darn clear that God speaks through human beings like me and you. The question is whether or not we’re listening. And then there’s the issue of discerning when you’re listening to other people, how do you know what is from God and what is not.
Think today about these questions, and ask Jesus to meet you as you process these:
Have you ever sensed God speaking to you through another person? Think about a deep conversation that encouraged you or a sermon that challenged you, or a random encounter that gave you surprising insight, or even a book that helped change the direction of your life. What were indications that it may have been God speaking to you?
Do you have a sense of times you’ve shut yourself down to God speaking to you through others? Think about times when you cut off a conversation, when you avoided going to a group or church service or wise counselor, or when you emotionally closed yourself down. What do you think was going on for you then?
Think over the last week - what’s your best guess about the clearest time when God spoke to you through another person in some way, big or small? And now for the most important question: what are you doing in response to what you sense God may have been saying to you?