No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
I John 4: 12 (NASB)
Scripture: I John 4
Over the past few devotions, we have been looking at how God appears to His people. But we really haven’t heard of Him appearing, sending His angels, or even just talking to us. This devotion will look at how God continues to appear to us today.
To read the previous devotions in this series, click the appropriate button below.
Even though God may not appear to us, send His angels or even just flat out talks to us, He speaks to us. He uses the Holy Spirit, His Word, His people, and His Creation to show us His Will for our lives.
Holy Spirit
Jesus told His followers that the Spirit would come as a guide. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn. 14: 26 ESV). God will teach us what we need to know and make sure we remember it when we need to remember.
God gives us His Spirit as a helper. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8: 26 ESV). Even when we are so stressed and focusing on us — when we are at our lowest — the Spirit helps us.
His Word
God reveals Himself to us through His Word. Second Timothy 3: 16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NKJV). God reveals His Will for us through His Word and disciplines us through it when needed.
That means we have to read God’s Word – and not just the parts that give us the warm fuzzies. We need to actively seek what His Word tells us about Him.
To read Do We Use the Bible Correctly?, click the button below.
His People
God can put other people in our paths to speak to us through them. A perfect example is His church. God can use the pastor to speak to us during the message. Or He can use someone when we meet together in a small-group setting. (I know He has used my ladies many times to speak to me!) He can even use someone in the congregation to say just the thing we need to hear.
Family is a big one that He can use. Who knows us like our family, right? Godly parents help us to form our beliefs and values. In fact, Proverbs 22: 6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (ESV). Parents also instruct and correct children.
Siblings (after we grow out of the sibling rivalry) can be used to show us what God is trying to tell us. I know my sister has been the mouthpiece for God many times!
And that isn’t even going into aunts, uncles, and cousins. Or Springfield mom and dad or other people I have adopted over the years.
God can even use a chance encounter on the street to talk with us. Have you ever had a complete stranger give you a compliment or encouragement — just when you needed it? God can use other believers — and those who are seeking Him and those who aren’t — to speak just the words we need to hear.
His Creation
Look around. We live on a beautiful planet. It is part of a beautiful universe.
There has to have been a Creator. This complex connected system could not have happened by chance.
One of my ladies shared a profound revelation with us. We are studying in the book of Mark. She stated that, in Genesis, it reports that God spoke the world into existence. In Mark, He calms the storm. Jesus calmed the storm because it recognized His voice.
Creation recognizes God as Creator. It recognizes God as the One Who sustains it. His creation can and will praise Him. In Luke 19: 40, Jesus said, “… I tell you that if these [people] should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (NKJV).
What Does All This Mean?
We have covered a lot of territory the past few days. We talked about how He appeared to people in the scriptures and how He appears to people today. Why is this so important?
When we have a leader, don’t we want to know who we are following? Don’t we want to know the God that we are following?
God doesn’t shy away from our trying to see Him. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (KJV). He welcomes our searching for Him.
God wants us to “see” Him and see Him. He wants us to know who He is and what He expects from us.
We have to seek Him. Yes, He can come after us. He wants us to come looking for Him.
God will make Himself known to those who are truly seeking Him. What, you say you have been seeking Him and are still getting nothing? What is happening?
Maybe you are seeking God in the wrong way. Maybe you are looking for a definitive sighting. That is probably not going to happen.
Maybe you are seeking but with a lot of doubt baggage. Maybe God is waiting for you to really choose to seek Him. You have to seek in faith.
Maybe you are seeking for the wrong reasons. God wants us to worship Him as the One true God. He doesn’t want us to seek Him just so we can live the easy life.
Maybe God is just telling you to wait. He will reward our persistence. Maybe He is letting you work out what you really want to ask Him.
Bottom line is God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to seek Him and see Him. He wants us to worship Him.
Loving Heavenly Father. You do not play hide and seek with us. You want us to seek You and see You. You will make Yourself known to us. We just have to look and see. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
What do you think? How does God reveal Himself and His Will to you? Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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