How Does God Speak to You?

Job’s friend Elihu makes an interesting comment about the way God speaks to people. God later rebuked Job’s friends for speaking wrongly about God, but there is some question whether that rebuke applies to Elihu. I no longer exempt him; I believe he too failed and was rebuked. Nevertheless, his statement about dreams is interesting:

“For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds. He uncovers their ears at that time and terrifies them with warnings, in order to turn a person from his actions and suppress his pride.” Job 33:14-17.

So how does God speak according to Elihu?

  1. In dreams
  2. In “visions in the night”
  3. When deep sleep falls and as we slumber

Most of us do not analyze our dreams looking for messages from God. And we probably should not. Because when Elihu was speaking there were NO written scriptures. Today we have 66 books of scripture. The copy on my desk has 1,403 pages! So today, God speaks to us through His Word.

But He MIGHT speak through a dream or a “vision in the night.” But it absolutely MUST be a message that is consistent with the Word that He has given us. That is, God will NEVER say something to you in a dream that contradicts anything in the Bible. If your dream contradicts the Bible, then your dream is NOT from God. The same is true for your imaginations, visions in the night, or whatever else might happen while you slumber.

Today, God speaks first and foremost through His Word. Don’t waste time combing through your dreams trying to find secret messages from God. His messages are in His Word.

I simply think it is worth remembering that once in a while, God may still use a dream to get your attention. But that dream will be consistent with the Bible, or it did not come from God. Personally, I have only ever had one dream that seemed to be a message from God. One—in fifty years. So I believe it is extremely rare that God would speak to you through a dream. There is so much more that He can teach you through His word—why even bother with dreams, you know? Dreams may be fun, but as you know, they are often illogical and even absurd. By contrast, the scripture is clear and easy to follow. It is not often subject to misinterpretation, but is instead, straightforward enough that readers either believe it and obey it, or they sin against it. Dreams are rarely so clear.

Do you want God to speak to you? Spend more time in His word. That is where He will meet you with wisdom and answers to all of life’s questions.

ΑΩ

Motormouth.

I was proud of my childhood nickname.  My mouth WAS a motor, running uninterrupted, 16 hours a day. My dad would say, “Steven, you’re a good kid.  But your mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble.”  He was right.

The Bible says it too: “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable” Proverbs 10:19.  It’s a simple equation: More words = more sin.  James elaborates: “Let everyone be … slow to speak” 1:19.  Are you ever slow to speak?  Try it!

Of course, we have to talk.  But when and how much? Imagine you are attending a Bible study. When should you speak up and answer a question or offer a comment?  And if you have already spoken once, should you speak again? 

TALKATIVE PEOPLE WHO HOPE TO MAKE (AND KEEP) FRIENDS, MUST LEARN: NO ONE WANTS A SINGLE PERSON TO DO ALL THE TALKING. YOU HAVE TO STOP. 

The question is—when should you speak? What factors should you consider if you are dying to talk, but don’t want to be a boor (or a bore)?

Consider Job’s young friend Elihu:

“I too will answer… I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. My heart is like unvented wine—it is about to burst the wineskins. I must speak so that I can find relief. I must open my lips and respond” 32:17-20.

Elihu considered several factors:

  1. He allowed elders to speak first, 32:4.
  2. None of his elders had a good response to Job’s arguments, v.12.
  3. Elihu plans to speak “only what he knows.” He will not let himself speak beyond his expertise, vv.10,17. (This is a BIG temptation for those of us who talk for a living.)
  4. He is overwhelmed with passion about his message, to the point he feels he will burst, v.19.
  5. Even while speaking, he will restrain himself, speaking with integrity and the fear of the Lord, v.22.

Practice LISTENING.  When you are bursting with some insight at that Bible study or family gathering, ask yourself whether your thought will do others in the room any good.  If it merely makes you look clever, but means nothing to anyone else—DON’T SAY IT!

ΑΩ

Hold Your Tongue.

Have you ever had something you were BURSTING to say? It happens during deep conversations with friends, or perhaps during a Bible study when something suddenly makes sense and you just HAVE to share.  Job’s friend Elihu knew that feeling:

“I am full of words, and my spirit compels me to speak. My heart is like unvented wine [like a shaken soda can]—it is about to burst like new wineskins. I must speak so that I can find relief. I must open my lips and respond!” Job 32:18-20.

That is so familiar to me.  This could be my “LIFE VERSE.”  I was always “full of words,” and “about to burst.” 

But Elihu is not the “Motormouth Kid.” He is a grown man, a man of wisdom. In fact, he may be the only man in the book who speaks the truth about God.

Not only that, when Job’s friends arrived, they sat down and said NOTHING for seven days.  SEVEN DAYS!  Can you imagine that?  And then Job’s three older friends did all the talking.  Elihu may have arrived after the other three (it does not say), but either way, he was silent for a long time while Job and the other seniors argued whether Job was being punished for his sins. Elihu listened to nine speeches from Job’s friends, and eight response speeches from Job, and said NOTHING until chapter 32. 

The younger man EARNED the right to be heard.  We must do the same.  We must listen not only to our elders, but to anyone whose experience or wisdom exceeds our own. Train yourself to be a good listener.  “Let every man be QUICK TO HEAR, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” James 1:19.

“If anyone considers himself religious, yet does not control his tongue, he deceives his own heart. That person’s religion is worthless” James 1:26.

Do you control your tongue? Do I?  If not, James says our religion—our FAITH—is worthless.

God, teach us to control our tongues. Teach us to SHUT UP.

ΑΩ

Can You Control Your Eyes?

Yes. You can. Some people act like it is not possible. But of course, that is ridiculous. You can make good decisions. Job says he made a covenant with his eyes. That’s like a contract. He negotiated a contract or signed a deal with his OWN EYES.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully on a woman…. Does He not see my ways, and count my every step? … If my heart has been enticed by a woman… then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have destroyed my harvest.” Job 31:1,4,9-12.

Job considers lustful eyes a wicked sin, a sin deserving judgment. He says it is a fire that burns to Destruction, and one that would destroy his entire life’s work. That is probably an unusual perspective today. Many people today seem to think sin is no big deal, and lust is certainly no big thing, right? Everybody does it, so it must be okay.


But God does not change His view with the times. Even if “everybody does it,” God does not just shrug and say, “oh, well, what are you gonna do?” Not at all.

Instead, God still says, “Be holy, even as I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16. Job understands that: we are expected to be holy. God challenges us. He is challenging YOU—do not tolerate lustful eyes. Make a covenant with your eyes. Stop taking a second look. Instead, BE HOLY.

Pray with me. Dear God, give us the guts to demand holiness of ourselves. Give us that kind of strength from you. Help us to hate evil, and to seek holiness. Show us how to strive for purity and never settle for anything less than that.

Show us how to do like Job did, and make a covenant with our eyes to NOT be lustful. Help us to be turned off, repulsed even, by the sin or the lust that lurks in our hearts and in our eyes. Help us to hate that, to hate the sin, and to choose holiness. Remind us that VERY FIRST TIME before we are tempted to take a second look. Remind us to look away and let it go, to NOT look back, to NOT take a second look. Help us to remember that temptation itself is not sin—that it is okay for a bird to fly over our head, but we don’t have to let it make a nest in our hair. In the same way, temptations will come along, but help us to keep them moving on past us, and not let them linger like a bird building a nest. Help us hate lust, FLEE lust, and not take that second look. Help us to love you and to love your Word, and to pursue holiness every moment, every day. Help us to be holy, just as you are holy. We love you.

ΑΩ

Write it Down. Job 31:1-2.

Even after all Job had been through, he proclaimed his innocence.  After losing everything—possessions, animals, servants, children, health—he says he is pure.

“Let God weigh me in accurate scales, and He will recognize my integrity” Job 31:6.

That’s a bold statement for a man who just endured one of history’s most severe smackdowns.  Shouldn’t Job be more humble? How can he be so confident?  It is integrity.  And not just “pretty good” integrity.  God said Job had “perfect” integrity.  One secret to his remarkable life may be his COMMITMENT.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. For if not, what portion would I have with God above? What inheritance from the Almighty?” Job 31:1-2.

As a young man, Job must have recognized the overwhelming power of lust and taken a step to control it.  HE MADE A COVENANT WITH HIS EYES. 

Have you ever made a covenant?  Have you tried writing down a solemn vow, a promise, or a decision of some kind?  I have done it several times and it can be an incredibly powerful step.  It must be solemn; it must be serious.  And I would not suggest writing down commitments and resolutions every day—it must be rare enough to be DEEPLY MEANINGFUL. 

But if God leads you and the time is right, locate paper and a pen, maybe a few big words, and WRITE DOWN your commitment to do or not do some critical thing in your life.  If God puts a burden on your heart, a written resolution can be a powerful and effective tool to change the direction of your life from that day on.  My life was changed forever when I made two written commitments. 

Job made a COVENANT WITH HIS EYES.  He made a solemn vow, and found a way to follow it; often a written commitment is just the thing.  (Take it seriously. Share with no one unless you feel strongly led.  This is between you and God. Otherwise, the attention and comments of others may weaken your resolve.)

ΑΩ

Is Anything More Valuable Than Wisdom?

Would you trade wisdom for a million dollars? Would you surrender all your wisdom for 30 million dollars? Is it worth it? Job, once rich, now poor, says NO:

“A miner puts an end to the darkness. He probes the deepest recesses for ore in the gloomy darkness. He cuts a shaft far from human habitation, in places unknown to those who walk above ground. Suspended from ropes, far from people, miners swing back and forth….  No bird of prey knows that path. No falcon’s eye has seen it… No lion has ever prowled over it. The miner strikes the flint and transforms the mountains at their foundations. He cuts channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure….”

“But where can WISDOM be found, and where is UNDERSTANDING located? No man can know its value… The ocean depths say ‘it’s not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘I don’t have it.’  Gold cannot be exchanged for it, and silver cannot be paid for it. Treasures of fine gold cannot be traded for wisdom… The price of wisdom is beyond pearls… Where then does WISDOM come from, and where is UNDERSTANDING located? It is hidden from the eyes of EVERY living thing…”

“But GOD understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location…. He says to mankind, ‘THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS WISDOM AND TO TURN FROM EVIL IS UNDERSTANDING.’” Job 28.

Job says wisdom is more valuable than ANY treasure—yet you will never find it on a treasure hunt. Even the deepest mine shaft will not contain it.  So how can you get wisdom? “Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

OBEY FIRST—then you will gain the wisdom to understand WHY you must obey. 

FAITH + OBEDIENCE = wisdom.

Consider friends who make bad choices: If you will not obey, you will NOT have wisdom—and you will not even understand that you lack wisdom—because you lack UNDERSTANDING.

ΑΩ

How Can I Get Rich Quick?

Proverbs says wisdom is more valuable than GOLD (16:16), more profitable than SILVER (8:18), and even worth more than RUBIES (3:15). Job says wisdom is worth more than GOLD, CRYSTAL, JEWELS, CORAL, and JASPER (28:17-18).

So where can you get this item of supreme value?

“There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.  Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness, he searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness.  Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways … his hand assaults the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. He tunnels through the rock. His eyes see all its treasures.  He searches the sources of the rivers and brings hidden things to light.

But where can wisdom be found? It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir…. It cannot be bought with pure gold…. The FEAR OF THE LORD—THAT IS WISDOM, AND TO SHUN EVIL IS UNDERSTANDING.”  Job 28:1-4,9-12,15-16,19,28.

Wisdom is the most valuable thing you can acquire—and you don’t have to tunnel through the earth, risking life and limb to get it.  You acquire wisdom when you make right choices.  The fear of the Lord brings wisdom.  To turn from evil brings understanding.  You also acquire wisdom from scripture, 2 Timothy 3:15, and from prayer, James 1:5.

I have come across numerous get-rich-quick schemes on social media recently, each one an ad with someone shouting about their amazing program that’s better than everyone else’s, with so-called “proven results.”  But the Bible says wisdom is more valuable than gold and jewels.  Scripture regards true wisdom as the greatest riches one might acquire. And unlike the schemes on the web, wisdom is free. Here’s how to REALLY get rich quick:

  1. Make good choices because you fear the Lord, Job 28:28.
  2. Read and learn scripture, 2 Tim. 3:15.
  3. Ask God for wisdom, James 1:5.

ΑΩ

He is Not Safe. But He is Good. Job 23:15.

C.S. Lewis hid brilliant insights in children’s tales, as when the character of Aslan is first introduced by Mr. Beaver–

“It’s no good, Son of Adam…  But now that Aslan is on the move—”

“Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!” said several voices at once, for once again that strange feeling—like the first signs of spring, like good news—had come over them.

“Aslan? Why, don’t you know? He’s the king … It is he, not you, who will save Mr. Tumnus….”

“Is—is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan is a lion—THE Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh,” said Susan.  “I’d thought he was a man.  Is he—quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake. If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?”

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver.  “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

Job discovered the same: GOD IS NOT SAFE. BUT HE IS GOOD.

Job was a good man, a man of “PERFECT INTEGRITY.”  Yet God allowed the enemy to rob Job of everything.  And Job was left with DREAD, terrified of what God might do next:

“I am terrified in His presence… I am afraid of Him. God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me” Job 23: 15-16.

Job experienced deep fear. But remember the rest of the story: God came to Job, responded to Job’s complaints, then blessed Job with twice as much of everything—and decades of peace in which to enjoy it.  “God blessed the latter days of Job’s life more than the former” 42:12.  –And that was only Job’s EARTHLY life.  Never forget heaven—ALL of us will be so blessed, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to come” Romans 8:18.  Job’s earthly riches were doubled, and in heaven, he would have not ten children, but TWENTY. 

Remember: God is not safe. He is not predictable.  But He is GOOD.

ΑΩ

Mutually Exclusive.

“Mutually exclusive” refers to two things that cannot both be true. Each one excludes the other. For example, result A may happen, or B may happen, but not both.  A single coin toss may result in heads, or tails, but not both.  Faith sometimes requires us to accept two possibilities that appear mutually exclusive, such as Jesus being both human and God at the same time. Abraham wrestled with the mutually exclusive: God requires my son, but Isaac is the son of the promise—so God will not take him but will provide a lamb in his place.

Job also faces the mutually exclusive. How can God take from me my wealth, health, and children, yet remain a good God? He finds fault with God, yet never forgets that God will REDEEM everything. Job is convinced this life is not the end—there must be a heaven.  Finally, Job admits it: He knows God is good and God will make it right somehow:

“But I know my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth, and, after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God.  With my own eyes, I will see Him, I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me” Job 19:25-27.

In addition to “perfect integrity” (Job 1:1), Job has great faith. How many of us would give up on God if we lost our possessions, our job, our health, and our children? But Job refuses.  He KNOWS God is going to redeem the suffering; God is going to BRING GOOD out of this horror.  I imagine Job choking this admission out through tears.  He is mad at life, mad at God, but can’t pretend to think bad of God anymore.  He weeps and admits it: “I KNOW that my redeemer lives … I know I will see him and all will be well. How my heart YEARNS for that day.”

God, we put our hope in you—no matter what we face! You REDEEM us. You fix it. You wipe away every tear. You are our hope. We yearn for the day when we will see you face-to-face.

ΑΩ

Job Encouraged Himself in His Faith.

Job is famous for his patience. James writes, “You have heard of the patience of Job” 5:11. A better translation of “patience” is the archaic word, “longsuffering.” The man endures.  Job is also a gifted administrator, running a massive farming and trading enterprise. He is RICH. Moreover, he is godly, wise, and a devoted father and servant of God. 

But I also give him credit for scholarship, for doing the hard work of knowing God, studying, and gaining great insights. Why? Because his understanding of faith and salvation is generations ahead of its time. He lived long before Moses, probably during the time of Abraham. That means he lived before there were any written scriptures.  Yet he understood that God would redeem his life and bring him back through the resurrection of his body. Many Christians today don’t even know that. (The New Testament describes in detail that we will receive our bodies back in the resurrection, for example: “We shall be [united with Him] in the likeness of His resurrection” Romans 6:5.)

There was no written scripture available to Job, but apparently a thriving oral tradition. Even Genesis was not yet written down. In fact, Job’s book is the oldest book in the Bible. Yet, this wealthy businessman knows what the most distant hours of the future hold. Not only that, he hangs onto his faith though he admits that he’s hurting so bad he wants to die.

He FIGHTS for his faith, encouraging himself:

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end, HE will stand upon the earth, and though my skin be destroyed [in the grave] yet in my flesh, I will SEE GOD. With these two eyes I shall see Him, I and not another. How my heart yearns for that day” 19:25-27.

Job had amazing faith in the midst of the most devastating losses. 

Learn the skill of encouraging yourself. When you are sad and hurting, do like Job: talk to God honestly about your pain. Then talk to God—and yourself—about your faith, and about how great He is, in spite of your hurts. Encourage yourself with scripture. “I KNOW that my Redeemer liveth!” Amen!

ΑΩ