Christmas will be coming before we know it!  I'm already contemplating doing some shopping online.  I have a feeling that I'll be a little pre-occupied once Burke makes his arrival.  I don't want our families to be skimped on, just because we have a little drama king on the way.

Anyway, the reason I even bring up the holiday season is because the subject of "hearing God" makes me think of the Christmas carol, "Do You Hear What I Hear".  I fear that, if I had been the little lamb or the little shepherd boy, I would have messed up the song completely.  It just wouldn't have had the same ring if the little lamb had turned to the night wind and said, "No, what do you see?" or if the little shepherd boy had turned to the little lamb and said, "No, what do you hear?"

Chris Rice shares this sentiment.  (Amazing musical artist, by the way. His Christmas Album is Mike and I's very favorite holiday album.)  In his song, "Smell the Color Nine", he says:  (You can click the link to listen.  If you don't have time to read all the lyrics, just read the lyrics in bold at the bottom.)

I would take "no" for an answer, just to know I heard You speak
And I'm wonderin' why I've never seen the signs they claim they see
Are the special revelations meant for everybody but me?
Maybe I don't truly know You, or maybe I just simply believe

'Cause I can sniff, I can see, and I can count up pretty high
But these faculties aren't getting me any closer to the sky
But my heart of faith keeps poundin', so I know I'm doin' fine
But sometimes finding You is just like trying to smell the color nine

Now I've never 'felt the presence' but I know You're always near
And I've never 'heard the calling' but somehow You've led me right here
So I'm not looking for burning bushes or some divine graffiti to appear
I'm just beggin' You for some wisdom and I believe You're puttin' some here

'Cause I can sniff, I can see, and I can count up pretty high
But these faculties aren't getting me any closer to the sky
But heart of faith keeps poundin' so I know I'm doin' fine
But sometimes finding You is just like trying to smell the color nine

Smell the color nine?
But nine's not a color
And even if it were, you can't smell a color
No, no
That's my point exactly.

























I've got to tell you that I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. Rice.  For me, "hearing God" is sometimes like trying to smell the color nine.  But 9 is not a color.  And even if it were a color, you can't smell colors.  I don't "hear God" very often.  I would say that I've "heard" God less than six times in my entire life.  (And, remember, I have spent the last 20 years as a Christian.)

I believe that many, many people use certain expressions in a manner that is completely inaccurate.  Or, at the very least, they use these expressions without knowing what the expression actually means.  Expressions like, "God told me..."  or  "God said..."

Those are *powerful* expressions.  If God actually says something, then it has major power and possibility.  It will create change.  It will create life.  It will be something good, good, good!!  :)

Okay, so, where am I going with this?  I'm not...I repeat, I'm NOT...encouraging us to judge other people when they say they've heard God.  I am, however, saying that we shouldn't compare ourselves to them. 

#1.  What God told them might be for them alone.  Don't assume that what He has told someone else is for you, also.  It might be, but it might not be. 

#2.  God talks to everyone in different ways.  Don't assume that He will talk to you in the same way He talks to someone else.  And don't get frustrated if you feel like someone else hears a lot more from God than you.  Just focus on your own relationship with God.

#3.  God *is* talking.  He is saying something to you.  You can be sure of that.  Just make sure you're listening.  Read on, if you want to know how He's talking to you or what He might be saying to you.  :)

God talks in many different ways.  And know this: God is capable of anything.  He really could talk to us in an audible voice, if that's what He felt was needed in the moment.  It has never happened to me, but I know that it could happen, and I know that it has happened.  God could also speak in "signs".  However, that doesn't mean that you should quit your job because your boss wore yellow shoes to work on Wednesday.  :) 

There are three primary ways God speaks.  Let's look at those first.

The Bible
The Bible is the main source that God uses to tell us what He thinks about subjects.  It's a huge letter full of instructions on how to live a life that not only pleases God, but also results in the best outcome for us.  Reading the Bible is a really good way to find out what God says about something.  (See the "Bible Basics" link on the right sidebar.)

Also, the Bible is the gold standard of "what God says."  Anytime you think God is talking to you, it MUST agree with the Bible.  Anytime someone else says that God has told them something, it must agree with the Bible.  No ifs.  No ands.  No buts.  If God speaks, He will agree with what he's already said in the Bible.  He won't up and change his mind.

So, God wrote a letter to us.  How else does He speak to us?

Other People
Sometimes, He will use other people.  Please be careful with this.  There is a fine line between allowing people to support you, encourage you, teach you, and guide you and allowing people to judge you, belittle you, trick you, or lie to you.  As I said earlier, God will always agree with what He said in the Bible.  You can check what others say to you in the Bible.  If it doesn't match, then they either didn't hear God or they did not hear Him correctly.

Also, God works  in unity and peace...not discord and confusion.  If four people are telling you four different things, it's time to go back to the Bible and back to prayer.  :)

Mostly, it's important to be connected to a group of other Christians.  Finding a church that loves God and believes God is vital.  Life is hard.  No need to try to do it alone.  When you find a church where you feel comfortable, God can use all sorts of things to speak to you: sermons, songs, Bible studies, Bible verses, etc...  Sometimes something will connect with you, and your mind will think, "That was just for me!"  Don't discount that.  God gives pastors messages for a reason.  He gives music ministers songs for a reason.  He wants us to help each other and do life together.  He wants to speak to you, and He just might want to use your friend from church!  :)

Your Spirit (or soul or heart or mind)
Lastly, the more time you spend talking with God, the more likely you are to hear him talking back to you.  When you spend time in prayer (just talking with God), you get "closer" to Him.  I'm not sure what words to use to explain it.  You might have already felt it.  The Bible promises that when we seek God, He will allow himself to be found.  The more time you spend seeking God, the more He will begin to guide you, your thoughts, your actions, and your life.

A friend wrote me an e-mail the other day.  She was a little uncomfortable using God's name.  She didn't want to use it the wrong way or insult God.  If I remember right, the phrase she was wondering about was "Lord help me if..."  I told her that God tells us to be careful with His name.  We should only use it when we really mean it.  For instance, was she really going to need God's help in the situation she was describing?  If not, it was probably better not to use His name.  I told her that, really, it was a pretty small issue.  I could tell her heart was in the right place, just because she was wondering about it, and she wanted to do the right thing.  I told her that I bet she already knew the answer before she even asked me.  My guess was that God had already kind of "bumped" her and told her what He thought.  When she wrote back, she agreed.  She said she already thought she knew the answer, she just needed confirmation.

Like I said, the more you talk to God, the more He'll talk to you.  Just pay attention.  If your heart or spirit feels a little uncomfortable with something, it's probably God saying, "Hey, be careful with this."  If your spirit feels especially at peace with a decision, it could be God saying, "I agree."  If you read something in the Bible and you feel a "tug" at your heart, that's God.  It's called the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is kind of like Pinocchio's Jiminy Cricket.  (That's a really informal comparison, but I hope you know what I mean.  The Holy Spirit has a WHOLE LOT more power than the little cricket dude.  However, the Holy Spirit does try to guide us the way Jiminy Cricket tried to guide Pinnochio.)

Basically, I'm saying that I don't hear God speak outloud.  If I say that I've heard God or if I say that God said something, it's most likely because I've read it in the Bible.  Sometimes (more rarely), it will be because I have been seeking an answer, and I have asked God in prayer to tell me what to do.  In those cases, I mean that I have had a very deep "feeling" of what God prefers.

Like my current situation...

The Bible doesn't really address bedrest.  :)  However, it does tell me that every life is precious.  It also tells me that God is in control.  It also tells me that worrying does not please God and worrying doesn't change circumstances.  Therefore, I get a pretty deep feeling that God is saying, "Chill out, Lindsay.  I've got this all under control.  No matter what happens, I'll take care of you, and I won't leave you alone.  Just trust me."  He didn't ring me up on my celly and tell me that, but I'm really pretty sure that these are His feelings on my current situation.  :)  (If you'd like the specific verses that have led me to this conclusion, just ask!)  :)

I really hope this helps.  It's a weird sort of thing.  Sometimes, it's really hard to describe a relationship with God, so we use the best phrases we can.  Sometimes those phrases can be really confusing to other people.  Don't let it discourage you!!  Keep searching for God.  Keep talking to Him.  He promises to answer you and talk back.

(And as a total side note, I am SO SORRY these posts are so long.  You guys keep asking me about stuff that isn't easily explained in a paragraph or two.  I'm working on designing a system that makes it easier to break down into chunks.  Please bear with me.

And while we're at it, remember that I am *not* a Bible scholar, and I am not a perfect Christian.  When I answer these questions, I'm just telling you what I've learned or experienced in my relationship with God.)  :)