The Word of God is also like a beautiful tapestry that has been woven over many centuries by a number of fantastic wordsmiths, “holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) And part of the beauty is being able to follow a single thread that wends its way through the Scriptures like a strand of pure gold.

I would like to trace to you one such lovely strand today that weaves through the Bible starting in Exodus, reappearing in Deuteronomy 4, turning through Psalm 68 and ending up with a twist in Hebrews 12 and 2 Peter 1. This is a strand about how God speaks to men and what His voice is like. I encourage you to read these chapters together for the full and exciting impact. Let’s follow this thread’s interesting journey…

Look first at Exodus 19:16 and 20:18-19, when God physically appeared to the Israelites at Mount Sinai,

“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled…Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’”

This encounter with God was more than the people could endure; they begged that the Lord would not speak directly to them . And so terrifying was the sight that even Moses himself said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling!” (Hebrews 12:20-21) Yet, at the next appearance of this thread, Moses had to remind the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:11-12, of what they saw and heard on that day (as if any of them could forget?),

“Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; only heard a voice.”

Then, the thread turns in and out of Psalm 68:7-8, 11, 28, & 33,

“O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, (Selah)…Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God…The Lord gave the word; Great was the company of those who proclaimed it…Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us…To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of Old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice…”

And finally, here comes the twist. This time, instead of appearing at Mount Sinai, the LORD God uttered His voice in fulfillment of His divine plan from Mount Zion, from the heavenly Jerusalem, to those who were with His Son on the earth,

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18)

And Hebrews 12:18-29 proclaims that God’s voice from this heavenly mountain is not one to be afraid of, but one to run toward and accept.

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.'” (Hebrews 12:25-26)

Thus, through this single thread that has been unraveled through time, we can see that God speaks to His people in real and tangible ways. And if He did this for so many faithful eyewitnesses, He will do it also for you. It might not be an audible voice that you hear, but you can be sure that God is speaking to you His Word, His promises, His will for your life. If you can tune in to His still, small voice that rises up in your heart, it will become louder and louder as you draw closer and closer to His presence. And He will speak glorious things to you that will bring life and light to your whole being.

“So we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts…” (2 Peter 1:19)

I pray you will hear the voice of the Lord speaking clearly to you today and that you will be blessed as you trace His wondrous threads of gold through the tapestry of your Scriptures.

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“For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” (John 9:39)

We see many people around us every day who are blinded by sin. They can’t even see that what they do is wrong. They lie, cheat, steal, curse and act corruptly and see nothing wrong with it. Our assignment is to offer them the mirror of God’s Word, first to open their eyes to their sin, and then to show them the One who can open their eyes to the truth—Jesus, Our Savior. James 1:25 says,

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” 

Have you ever played with a mirror, angling it to catch a sunbeam and reflect it in another direction to illuminate a spot in the shade? It is not enough just to look into the mirror of God’s Word for our ourselves. The true blessing is learning to angle that mirror outwardly to reflect the light of Yeshua on the eyes of those who are blind that they may see. When Saul, who was blind to what he was doing against the believers, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was literally blinded by the light that Jesus shone around him. And when he was led into the truth by a faithful witness, Ananias, who came to pray for him, the scales fell from his eyes and he was transformed by the renewing of his mind.

That is what we are called to do–to lead the blind of this world to the Truth–Jesus Christ–through the faithful witness of the Word of God. We become mirrors to reflect the love of God to those in dark places that can’t find their way to the Light on their own. Let us keep our mirrors of the Gospel shined up and facing out and reflecting the grace of the Lord. Let our eyes be open to those around us who are blinded by sin. May we see them with the same eyes that Jesus sees them—eyes of love and compassion.

May the Word of God bring eye-opening revelation to your heart today and may you be blessed in doing your work as you continue in His perfect law of liberty.

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“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived…” (2 Timothy 3:1, 12-13)

It can become quite discouraging, even despairing, if we remain focused on the bizarre and unsettling events in the news. How should we respond in our own hearts to the perilous times of these last days? On what should our thoughts and minds be focused instead of the persecutions and evil around us? Again, Timothy gave an antidote to the craziness,

“But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you learned them (godly pastors, godly teachers, godly parents), and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man (and woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Our focus must be maintained on those things we have learned from God’s Word and from our faithful pastors and teachers. We must get back to the basic foundation of our faith–Christ Jesus. He will keep us grounded. He will give us the strategies through His Word to cope with all the craziness of this world. He will equip us to  know how to keep moving forward when all the world is stymied and out of control. He will give us wisdom to make right decisions and to judge rightly between the directions He is guiding us in and what is a scare tactic of the devil to try to keep us paralyzed. So, keep up your Bible reading habit. It will help you know how to handle and interpret the news of the world without going crazy yourself. And continue daily in prayer, for His grace is sufficient to help us in every situation we may face.

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So many times I have said to my family, “Do you want to know how to get good at something (drawing, singing, playing piano, speaking, writing, praying, etc. You fill in the blank…)? The answer is always, “then do that thing!” The more you practice a skill the better you get at it. This same principle applies to knowing and understanding God’s Word. The more you read and study your Bible, the more honed your spiritual senses will be to discern God’s Will for you and the enemy’s tactics against you.

“But solid food (the deeper understanding of God’s Word) belongs to those who are mature, that is, those who by reason of practice have their senses exercised (honed) to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

The Word of God is a powerful resource for us. It is a weapon we can use against the devil. It teaches us and convicts us in our own daily walk. It helps us be better witnesses by bringing to our remembrance the things Jesus taught us. It gives us deep insight into the character of God and His will for our lives. It nourishes our soul like a big piece of steak does for our stomachs.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

As you read and study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will help you pull up verses that can help you in every situation you may face in your life–verses of encouragement, verses of admonition, verses of comfort, and more. Dig into the word today! It is always a meaty morsel to feed your spirit. You can do it!

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