I Samuel 2:27
“Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?'”
The Lord speaks to us in many ways. The primary way and the screen by which we test all is through the Bible. Today’s passage demonstrates a more subjective way that the Lord speaks to us: through others.
Do these people know that they are speaking for Him? Rarely, but usually not. Those that do would have the gift of prophecy (Ephesians 4:11). This sounds creepy, but not so. These wouldn’t approach us with all sorts of information about us that only God would know. The Lord is gentle and wouldn’t seek to embarrass us.
What would God want to say to us? He created us to be in fellowship with Him. Most of His message would be towards drawing us closer to Him (2 Corinthians 5:19). If we sense guilt and shame, that is most likely not from Him (I John 3:20). His message would bring relief by way of encouragement (Matthew 11:29). This is how He speaks to those who’s hearts are inclined towards Him.
If we are on a path contrary to His, then the Lord wants to get our attention. He may reveal the end result of some of our choices. This may be frightening. Scrooge’s visitations are a dramatic example. The ghost of Christmas past said he was there for Scrooge’s reclamation. This very disturbing night was intended to help. The Lord greatly wants to rescue us. He can use shocking messages and images to do so.
It’s difficult to confidently claim a message is from God. So much in our human senses and imaginations can alter them.
While God will speak through others, they rarely know they are being used by Him. It could be through someone we are talking to, it could be something we overhear from someone not talking to us, it could be through a character on tv or something we read. The Lord can use anyone. They don’t need to be a christian. Isaiah 45 speaks of how God used Cyrus, a foreign, unbelieving king. He calls him, “my servant”. Cyrus had no knowledge of this. He thought he was acting independently.
Much of what God says to us, we rarely know is from Him. I think He sends multiple messages to us a day. We just see these as our own thoughts or impulses.
Lord, thank You for Your words and guidance. Help us to be open to them. Help us to seek them.