The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah… (Jeremiah 33:19 ESV)

Every time I read the phrase “the word of the LORD came unto…” in the Old Testament (which is quite often), I wonder about the experience. What was it like for Jeremiah to “hear” or “sense” or “see” or “receive” a word from God? Christians today often report receiving a word from the Lord, although our experiences are not on par with the authority of Scripture. However, I do believe God still speaks to us today.

What is that like? For me, God often speaks through bringing song lyrics to mind (no surprise, since I was a worship pastor for over a decade). Other times, he speaks through a sermon I’m listening to, a Scripture passage, or a book I’m reading. A word, phrase, or verse will resonate strongly in my heart with a familiar feel I’ve come to recognize is from God. Sometimes, he gives me specific thoughts, like, Jesus wasn’t cool; he was crucified. These come most often when I am preparing sermons. A few times in my life, God has shown me pictures or visions during prayer. I have witnessed on more than one occasion God speaking to a church gathering through a message in tongues and its corresponding interpretation.

God speaks in many ways, but we must be listening in order to hear. This past week, God convicted me a couple of times about my smartphone. Every spare moment of our lives is filled with noise of some kind—a podcast, an interview, a news story, a video, an article, a book, a song, etc., etc., etc. We’re almost afraid to be still with our own thoughts before the Lord. But if we want to tune in God’s words, we must tune out much of the noise around us. Turn off the TV. Put the book down. Set your phone to do not disturb and put it away. Turn off the radio. Be still and listen. It may not happen right away, but as you quiet the noise from outside and make space to be quiet on the inside, your soul will settle into a listening posture and you’ll begin to hear God’s words to you. You’ll also begin to hear God’s words for others, but that’s a different post.