Are you listening yet?

First I need to tell you this is a whole new thing for me in several ways . . .
1. I have never created a blog. 2. I'm not sure why God laid it on my heart to communicate this information. (yes, God does speak to me but not verbally,so I'm not hearing voices) 3. I'm not anything real special and by that I mean, educationally . . . no books and up until now no writing except in my journal.

That said . . . My heart is to share what God is teaching me in His word. So today, this is what God prompted me to write . . .

How does God speak to us? If God truly created us to be in relationship with him, to really know him intimately, then how does that happen? Here's what I have learned from a life of not always paying attention.

God Speaks to us three ways . . . typically.
1. He speaks to us through His Holy spirit as we read His word, the Bible. Couple of verses that may help here. . . Hebrews 4:12; Psalms 119:105; John 1:1-5 & 14-17; Proverbs 5:4;Romans 10:17
2. God speaks to us through people. Pastors, teachers, sponsors, accountability partners, friends, small groups . . . Community. We are created for relationship with Him and others. I'm learning this is much more important in my spiritual journey than previously thought. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Romans 15:1-2; @ Corinthians 1:3-4.
3. Through our circumstances. You've probably heard people say, "God is trying to get your attention through your hard times." Here's what I've experienced in my hard circumstances( and i've had a few). . . God gets my attention. He unearths a character flaw that doesn't glorify him and is not best in my life, and then uses what he has taught me for His glory in the lives of others. Romans 8:28.
My point and what I heard God teach me today is that the order of the methods He uses to speak to us may be important and in increasing order. (Like the voluming going up)

1. If we are sucked up close to God in His word. What do I mean? Daily spending time with Him reading, meditating, praying for instruction, waiting to hear from Him.
2. If we are enjoying community and fellowship that is real, transparent; not the "Sunday-go-to-church" type. But genuine relationship with other believers.
3. Then perhaps . . . God doesn't have to YELL at us in our circumstances. (not in anger, but to get our attention) You know the ones I'm talking about . . . hard, intense life changing, let me run and hide circumstance.

God still uses circumstance to teach and instruct us but if we are practicing method ONE and method TWO of listening to God, I believe method THREE may not be as stressful, hard, dig my heels in, my way or the highway . . . such a fight. It maybe much more gentle like working muscles on a new exercise, developing a new discipline in our life.

So, test this theory and see if God has to yell to get your attention through circumstance or gently train you in them. I'd love you to let me know if the theory is valid.

Proverbs 8:33, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Timothy 4:-7-8, Romans 12:1-2, I Timothy 1:5
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