Hearing the Voice of God: In Everyday Life-Part 5

From the beginning of this series, we have seen that hearing the voice of God involves far more than hearing audible words with our physical ears. God communicates with His children in countless ways. These varied communications are what we are referring to as His voice.

One of the more "creative" ways in which God reveals Himself is through the ordinary circumstances and pictures of everyday life. 

Creation Speaks of God

The Apostle Paul wrote, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made...." (Romans 1:20 NIV)

The universe is not a random series of objects, haphazardly strewn about in the cosmos, but a divinely orchestrated creation filled with purpose and order, revealing God's "invisible qualities" through what He has made. Creation is God's picture book, given to all people everywhere, allowing us to see Him in everyday life. 

It is our primer, our visual first lesson, through which we see God. Later, further revelation will come through the written Word and the Incarnation of Jesus. Creation is the "Show" part of "Show and Tell."

When we begin to see creation as God's picture book, everyday life itself becomes a testimony continually speaking of Him.

The Invisible Nature of God

Because God is of a completely different essence from mankind, even an attempt to understand His nature is a daunting task. It was Jesus Who told us that "God is Spirit." (John 4:24 NIV) In other words, God is invisible. The wind is a good depiction of that aspect of God's nature. We cannot see the wind, but we can see the effects of it. In the same way, we cannot see God, but we can see the effects of His presence in our lives and in the universe. (John 3:8 NIV)

Though invisible, God continually reveals Himself through His works. He is the Source of all life—not the recipient. He is the Creator—not the created. He has always existed and always will. He doesn't require any external help or support.

In trying to describe Him to the Athenians, Paul put it this way, "The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth.... And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath...For in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:24-25, 28 NIV)

The Creation of Mankind

The formation of the first humans provides a striking picture of the difference between  the Creator and the created. The Scripture tells us that from "the dust of the ground," (Genesis 2:7 NIV) "God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:26-27 NIV)

It is humbling to consider that mankind was actually made out of dirt. Like it or not, we are earthlings, and that is something that God doesn't forget. Interestingly enough, it actually stirs His compassion, "As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, and remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:13-14 NIV). It would be a healthy thing for us to remember our humble beginnings as well. 

Yet, there is more to our story. Although we began as dust, we became much more than that—because of a quintessential ingredient.

The Breath of Life

Adam's creation provides us with a clear picture of man's dependence upon God for his very life. At his formation, Adam lacked the essential element of life—the breath of God. It was only when God "breathed into his nostrils" that "man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7 NIV)

Humans are not self-sufficient. They must be able to breathe, or they will no longer exist. This illustration of our dependency upon God is clearly shown in the biblical words used for the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead—ruach, in the Hebrew Old Testament and pneuma, in the Greek New Testament. These words can be translated into English as breath, wind, or spirit. Both share the same dynamic, yet invisible, activity of the Spirit of God. 

Hunger and Thirst as Spiritual Pictures

Breathing is not the only pictorial depiction of our need for God. We must also eat. In His teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever." (John 6:51 NIV) Physical hunger points to a deeper spiritual hunger that can only be satisfied in God.

Thirst is another illustration of our dependence upon the Lord. In a scene whose perfect backdrop was a well, Jesus interpreted this picture for the Samaritan woman. After asking her for physical water, Jesus unveils the spiritual reason for mankind's need for water, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again," He said. "But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 NIV) 

Jesus consistently elevated the subject at hand from the natural to the supernatural. "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," He said. (John 6:63 NKJV)

Jesus Interprets the Picture Book

Jesus was so good at reading the creation picture book that He taught the crowds in parables. Through stories drawn from everyday life, He used visible realities to reveal deeper spiritual truths.

Sometimes Jesus would tell a story, and sometimes He would point out an object to show how it revealed an aspect of God. "I am the vine; you are the branches." He said one day. "If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NIV)

The fruit Jesus described was not merely outward activity, but the Fruit of the Spirit, produced by His life flowing through those who remain in Him: "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." (Galatians 5:22 NIV)

The "I AM" Statements

Perhaps the reason Jesus was so good at explaining the images of creation is because He IS the picture book. The disciple John, in speaking of Jesus says, "He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:2 NIV)

When God encountered Moses at the burning bush, He introduced Himself as, "I AM." Years later, Jesus would use that very name to explain that creation is really a representation of God Himself.  

"I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness...." (John 8:12 NIV), He told the crowd. 

"I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11 NIV), He said, alluding to His death for the redemption of mankind.

"I AM the resurrection and the life," (John 11:25 NIV) He proclaimed, just before calling Lazarus from the tomb. 

"I AM the way and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me," (John 14:6 NIV) He declared, describing His unique role as the only "Mediator between God and mankind." (1 Timothy 2: 5 NIV) 

The Visible and Invisible Worlds

The visible world can easily convince us that what we see is all that exists. There was a time when man thought that the sun revolved around the earth. This was understandable, since man's frame of reference was what he could perceive with his natural senses, and also, because it is very human to be self-centered. The passage of time and scientific evidence, however, gave man a different perspective and shattered the illusion that the earth was the center of the universe. 

The Scriptures have shattered another one of our illusions. The earth is not the real reality. It is a shadow or reflection of a greater unseen realm. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "...the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11:3 NIV) The invisible world came first; then, the visible. 

Conclusion

The physical world is filled with pictures of invisible realities that show God's nature and our dependence upon Him. Every breath we take, every hunger or thirst that we feel points beyond itself to a deeper spiritual need that can only be fulfilled in Him.

Jesus continually used everyday objects and experiences to reveal the reality of His Father's kingdom, interpreting the creation picture book for those who had eyes to see and ears to hear. In Christ, the invisible God was made visible, and through Him we begin to hear more clearly what creation has been declaring from the beginning. 

As we grow in our relationship with God, the world around us begins to look different. Ordinary things no longer appear to be ordinary. Little by little our spiritual senses awaken, and we begin to recognize that creation itself is bearing witness to its Creator.

For more from Julia, see her Substack, “Reflections on Knowing God” @juliakamleiter