Job 33:14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—
    though no one perceives it.

It’s a little hard to know how to take Elihu, the speaker here. He “comes out of nowhere” in the narrative, not being one of Job’s three friends, and after his lengthy discourse, he isn’t mentioned again. One of the members of this church, years ago, thought he was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it’s hard to fault what he says in his discourse. Here, he points out that God does speak to us, but we often don’t recognize what He’s saying or even that He’s speaking. In verses 29-30 Elihu explains why God speaks to us. “God does all these things to a person—twice, even three times—to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.” The methods of God speaking mentioned here are all physical ailments, but how often do we seek God for what He might be saying to us when we get sick? I’m not saying that every disease is a message from God, by any means, but the possibility is real, and we need to be listening actively. The methods God uses to speak to us are virtually limitless, so the point is to be sensitive and expectant. The problem is that very few people today have the expectation of God speaking to them. As I mentioned recently, just a few years ago when a public figure in the US mentioned something about hearing from God, they were ridiculed and accused of a mental disorder on national television. The devil doesn’t want us hearing and obeying God! That’s all the more reason to be listening eagerly, because the devil is absolutely a liar, out to kill, steal from, and destroy us. (John 10:10) If he wants you to do something, do the opposite!

I grew up with the awareness that God is intimately concerned about us. Though my parents didn’t often use the terminology of “hearing from God,” they sought His guidance in daily devotions and were faithful as He led them. Prayer was as natural as breathing in our house, and it was understood that it wasn’t just one-way. Even so, it was many years before I developed a lifestyle of listening to God. I mention it frequently, but it was a total shock when I first heard Him speak in what seemed to be an audible voice, and what He told me was, “Well then, shut up!” I do delight to talk to Him (I’m quite a talker in any case), but I still have room to grow in listening to Him, just as I need to grow in listening to the people around me. At 76, my physical hearing isn’t what it once was, but I know that my spiritual hearing is far more important. Even talking with people, I need to hear what they are really saying, above and beyond their words. I especially want to hear what my Lord is saying and be fully obedient to Him, above and beyond any other voice, or even my own intellect. God does speak, and I want to listen.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for how You are so faithful to give me the messages You want conveyed to Your children. I pray that I would do so accurately this morning, both for those physically present and those who will hear electronically. May we all listen to You as obedient children, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!