“Love - Part IV” 

by Lori Towne 

          The last few weeks, I’ve been talking about how God’s love for us is demonstrated. I began at the beginning, with creation: God created us because He loved us – even before He actually created us.

          Then He chose to be with us, and still desires to be with us today, because He loves us. And He spends time thinking about us because He loves us. Those were Parts One, Two and Three. This week’s message is Love, Part Four. 

          This is a tough one, although it shouldn’t be. It’s tough because it’s about God talking to us today. We can readily believe that He spoke to His prophets, but to us “regular” people? That’s harder to accept. But hearing the Lord is what God intended from the very beginning.  

           God spoke to Adam; we know that. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:16-17)

          Notice that He “commanded the man, saying.” But we might say today, “Well, God spoke to Adam before he sinned. People just haven’t been able to hear God since The Fall.” I say to that: Even after Adam sinned, God spoke to him. I’ll give you just one example: “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9) I tell you, if sin kept us from hearing God, we’d be in even bigger trouble than we are! 

          We also know that God spoke to the prophets. But even in their case, why bother? Why would God talk to man? I like what the Amplified Bible has to say about that: “God has always warned the world of coming judgments in order that it may not bring them upon itself.” He speaks to warn, to save. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)

          But what about those of us who aren’t prophets? Who aren’t going to warn the world of coming judgments as Jonah did, or admonish us to heed God’s commandments as Moses did, or foretell the coming of the Messiah as Isaiah did, or prepare us for the end of these times as Jesus, and John in Revelation, did? Are we simple Christians simply not given to hear, not meant to hear?  

          And what does hearing from God, hearing God talk to us in this day and age, have to do with God’s love? I’ll answer that by asking this: Do you feel somewhat unloved if you don’t hear from God? I’ve heard people ask, “Why doesn’t God talk to me? Why does God talk to you and not to me?”

          And those who do hear Him can’t even express what it’s like to hear His voice. I’ve said this to the Lord, “I don’t even care so much what you say as that you’re saying it to me.” Not because hearing Him makes me feel special, but because hearing Him is unlike any other thing I’ve ever experienced. I feel Him when I hear Him. I feel His love. 

          But again I turn to those who say God doesn’t talk to them. Yesterday, I was talking with my 20-year-old son Erik, who is minoring in philosophy at University of Nebraska. I did the same when I was that age. I told him, “With all the philosophy I’ve studied, and even with all the biblical studying I’ve done, I’ve decided that I can’t figure out anything.

           I’ve told God, ‘I know nothing but what You tell me.’” He said, to my surprise, “Exactly.” He’d come to the same conclusion I had – but much faster! Then he asked what many ask: “But what if He doesn’t tell you anything?” 

          Is that the question? Is it a question of God not talking, or of us not hearing? I don’t think we want to acknowledge the latter. We’d rather think that He doesn’t talk to us than that we don’t hear Him. Yes, we see through a glass darkly, as the Apostle Paul wrote; our understanding is indeed limited. But maybe we’ve forgotten to ask for the ability to hear. 

          James wrote: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5) Any of you, James said, not just prophets or special people. We were all meant to receive wisdom from God. And how is wisdom given to us? With teaching, with talking, with words. Jesus taught, He talked, He used words. He was and is the Word.  

          Don’t underestimate the power of the Word – and the love behind it. The Word was sent to save the world. “He sent his word, and healed them.” (Psalm 107:20) One of the definitions of “heal” is to close up or become whole. At work, I use a self-healing cutting board; the cuts I make close up on their own. God’s Word closes the gap between Him and us. I ask you: Is there any better love than that? 

          So my prayer for you today is that your ability to hear God’s words is increased – not for the world’s sake but for yours. My prayer is that you will be healed, your wounds closed up, your hearts mended, with His words, His voice, and His living Word – His very presence.