Neon Signs from God

Neon Signs from God

A recurrent theme throughout the last seventeen years of my life has been one of trying to discern what God would have me do. I’ve often wished for those “Neon Signs” that would definitively declare “THIS WAY!”

In recent months this has also been a common desire that I’ve heard from others as they work through many of life’s transition(s) and issues, including the people I’ve coached about their strengths: where’s the “Neon Sign?”

Is it any wonder then that I would be enticed to download a book to my Kindle called Nine Ways God Always Speaks by Mark Herringshaw & Jennifer Schuchmann? It was a marvelously inspiring book filled with stories of how people have encountered God. The image used was that of radio waves: they’re always out there, but we have to tune to the right channel. The authors contend that God is always reaching out to us, but that we aren’t “tuning in” to Him.

They then outline the “Channels” that God uses to try to reach us, and which we must “tune in” to encounter God. They explain how God talks to us through our circumstances, other people, history, nature, dreams & visions, emotions, our conscience, and his Word…but, that’s only eight channels! Finally, they explain how God speaks first – and waits for us to respond – and then he’ll speak again, or, as they state it, “It’s in response to our action. Though he initiates conversation, he also speaks in response to our acknowledgement of his overture.”

In other words, it becomes easier to hear God when we become obedient and respond to his prodding! Then the conversation grows deeper. “The ninth way is the way in which you give him permission to speak.”

One of the most thought provoking statements in this book was, “We see in the Bible that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. But, nowhere do we see them ask him to teach them how to listen.” Now wouldn’t that have made for a great teachable moment? This is a question I’ll be wrestling with for a while, particularly since we are embarking on a two month sermon series about prayer here at Northminster.

Have you encountered any “Neon Signs” lately?