I'm Convinced, God Speaks to Cows!

Have you ever told someone something and had them look at you like a cow staring at a new gate? You know a look of lost bewilderment. Did they hear me? Did it register? Did it make any difference at all? Was it just as well that I talked to a wall? Wait! Is there something stuck in my teeth?

I wonder if God ever feels that way when He communicates with us. Surely He is speaking to us, and often we either don’t hear him or are not listening. How do we know when God is speaking and what He is saying as well? Elijah experienced that part of recognizing God is in the process of elimination.

Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before GOD. GOD will pass by."

A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before GOD, but GOD wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but GOD wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but GOD wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" (1Kings 19:11-13 MSG)

God did not speak to Elijah through the spectacular of a hurricane force wind or an earth shaking seismic shift, He did not write in the sky or send a legion of angels all holding banners. He could do all of those things, but instead speaks to us when we are finally ready to listen. What a question He asks as well! “What are you doing here?” Basically, where are you at? Where are you going? What are you doing with the life that I gave you? God speaks within the context of us trying to answer those questions!

What are we expecting to hear?

So let’s just say we are ready to listen to what God has to say to us. For some of us this has been many years coming of putting it off, getting busy or plain out apathy on our part. For some, this may be the first time of trying to distinguish the voice of God and obtain much needed direction for our family, business, or life’s calling. We are fasting, praying, getting rid of distractions, all bunkered down in a place of refuge (even if it is in the midst of our crazy schedule and surroundings)—now what? What are we expecting to hear? Will it be something we want to listen to or are willing to act upon? Here are some probable factors we will have to process:

• God will probably tell us to do something that doesn’t make sense to our natural thinking. It won’t be what we expected to hear or be similar to what we’ve seen happen to others. Naaman was a man with leprosy who sought healing from the Lord through his prophet, Elisha in 2 Kings 5:1-14. Elisha told him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would be healed. That sounded ridiculous to Naaman who said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.” He thought surely God would do it this way…
  

• God will probably tell us to do something that isn’t in our comfort zone. Something that’s not in our “sweet spot” or “pocket.” We will be most tempted to say “no” to whatever Jesus speaks. After all, it’s just too hard, not fair, and must be for someone else to do! Just ask the rich young ruler.
  

• God will probably tell us to do something that will directly concern those who do not know His Son, Jesus. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10). He called us to do this work as His ambassadors here and here. He is always on mission.
  

• God will probably tell us to correct something. Uh oh!
  

Do we still want God to speak? I sure hope so!