Acts 22:9 “My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.”

In Acts 9 we have the record of Saul’s conversion from a third person perspective, but here we have it as spoken by Paul himself. Since they’re both in this book written by Luke, it’s hardly surprising that they agree! That said, this one little detail is worth noting. Here Paul says that those with him both saw the light and heard a voice, but they couldn’t understand what the voice was saying. Something very similar happened at Jesus’ baptism, (Luke 3:22) and again just after some Greeks came looking for Jesus, (John 12:28-29) with the John passage specifying that some people just thought it thundered. The thing is, God speaks to us all the time, but we often fail to hear Him correctly. That’s why Jesus repeatedly said things like, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Luke 8:8, etc.) Even the risen and glorified Christ said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, etc.) The Greek in the Revelation passage puts it in the singular form, which is to say, “If you have even one ear, listen up!” We need to listen carefully to God however He speaks to us, because we are all too prone to mis-hear Him. That’s why we need as deep and broad a foundation in the Bible as we can manage, because He is never going to contradict Himself. The more familiar we are with the Bible, the more easily we will recognize what He is saying to us through other means as well. Sadly, many Christians don’t really expect to hear God even when they read the Bible! The world is full of voices of all sorts speaking to us, so we need a conscious commitment to listen to God.

I have been aware of God speaking to me many times in my life, but I am particularly grateful for this SOAP system to reading the Bible, which I learned from Wayne Cordeiro. Every morning I read the Bible and then write (type) out the part of the passage that particularly resonates with me. (S, Scripture) I then write what I feel God is saying through that part of the passage. (O, Observation) I then seek to apply that specifically to my own life. (A, Application) Finally, I write out a Prayer, P, in response to what the Lord has just shown me. It isn’t unusual for me to receive fresh revelation this way, being surprised by what I have just written! That is my regular, daily habit, but the Lord has also spoken to me unexpectedly more than once, and that always blows me out of the water. I have absolutely no doubt that God is real and alive, because He has spoken to me! That isn’t from any special holiness of mine, but because by His grace He has given me ears to hear, and I have chosen to use them. I must never take any of that for granted, but allow God’s words to work in and through me, for His glory.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace toward me. Thank You for Wayne Cordeiro, and for his faithfulness to share what You have shown him. May I likewise be faithful, so that more and more of Your children may grow ears to hear You accurately so as to be fully obedient to You, for Your kingdom to come as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!