Stephen G. Derges explores how we hear God

Stephen G. Derges

The time's 3 am - yes that's morning and it does exist!

The last few days had been hectic. Dale Plante, a good friend, pastor and church planter from Canada had been staying with us. Early mornings; late nights; - it all takes its toll.

I was whacked but there wasn't a chance of sleep.

Why is it that God always wants to speak to me in the middle of the night? I know the Bible says that He never slumbers or sleeps and so because we're made in His image perhaps that's the reason. But it also says that God grants sleep to the ones He loves and I thought I qualified.

But despite trying desperately to rest, I can't so tiptoeing down the stairs, trying not to wake the dog or the rest of family, a whole host of questions are going through my mind like:

• How do we hear God?


• How do we know it is God?


• Should I even expect God to speak to me?


• How can I find out what God wants?

Why would God want to speak to us?

The answer is simple yet profound - because He loves us. The God of Creation Who holds everything together; Who is exalted in the highest heaven loves us and wants a relationship with us.

Now I'm a very logical type of guy - it probably came with my training as a Surveyor and Banker but it's also part of my character. Give me the facts; let me analyse the situation and I'll come up with a plan or a solution.

So if someone wants a relationship with you it seems totally logical to me they would want to speak to you and wouldn't it be illogical if they kept quiet? And doesn't it also seem plausible that they would use different communication methods? After all we are bombarded with various media approaches - TV; radio; newspapers; magazines; telephone; internet; email; text messages. There's loads of ways we are influenced through advertising, news programmes and documentaries. Even the 'TV soaps' are used to get messages across.

So why wouldn't God use different methods to communicate with us?

But many Christians appear to believe that God has shut Himself off from us and has said all He ever wants to say in the Bible and that's it. He's out of radio contact now; the dial-up won't connect. He's given us the Book to read and that's it.

Ever read the story of Samuel in the Bible? Samuel is promised to God by his mother in 1 Samuel chapter 1. As a young lad - probably less than two years old - he is taken from his family into a very dysfunctional situation.

Eli, the priest was an old man and his sons were a law unto themselves. Not only were they ripping off (with violence) those coming to present sacrifices but they were also sleeping around with the servant women. Eli tackles them about their behaviour but they ignore him.

Into this situation a tender, innocent young boy is placed to be trained. It seems incongruous that a parent would put their first born child into that kind of setting but God can turn around the seemingly most disastrous of situations. Samuel goes on to become one of the greatest prophet-leaders of Israel.