“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’”
- Acts 9:3-4 NIV
I was sitting on the porch this morning watching my human drink coffee and read his Bible. I was watching for dropped crumbs, but he seemed more interested in a question.
Does God still speak to His people?
Now, I’m a dog. I know my human’s voice. I can pick it out in a crowded room, especially when he says, “Who wants to go for a ride?” I also recognize the tone that means I’ve done something wrong.
But does God still speak to us today?
I’ve heard folks argue both sides. My human says God speaks through Scripture, pastors and teachers, and circumstances that get our attention. He believes God can speak whenever and however He chooses, as long as it doesn’t contradict His Word.
Just look at the Bible.
God spoke to Moses, Noah, Abraham, and Jonah.
Sometimes it was a burning bush.
Sometimes it took a storm and a fish.
God certainly has His ways of getting somebody’s attention.
Then there’s Acts 9.
Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus through a blinding light and a voice from heaven. But there was another fellow named Ananias. God spoke to him, too, in a vision.
Two men. Two different encounters. One Lord directing both toward His purpose.
Ananias knew the Lord, but that didn’t mean he understood everything God asked him to do. When God told him to visit Saul, Ananias had concerns. Saul had a reputation for hurting Christians, and Ananias wasn’t looking forward to that visit.
I can relate. When my human says, “Come here, boy,” I sometimes need more information before deciding whether that’s a good idea.
But Ananias listened, trusted God, and obeyed. God used him to restore Saul’s sight and welcome a man who would become the apostle Paul.
That got me thinking. Maybe the question isn’t simply whether God still speaks. Maybe we ought to ask whether we’re listening.
We live in a noisy world. Everybody has an opinion, every phone has a notification, and even my human’s coffee maker makes more noise than necessary. It’s easy to get distracted and miss what God has already said in His Word.
We may never experience a Damascus moment or hear an audible voice. But we can open our Bibles, pray, listen to godly counsel, and pay attention to how God is working. Then we must be willing to obey when His direction becomes clear.
And here’s something important: Not every feeling, thought, or open door is God speaking. We must measure what we hear against Scripture and seek His wisdom.
I laid my head on my human’s foot and settled in for a nap. He kept reading, and I kept listening.
Maybe we both had something to learn.
God has not stopped being God. The question is whether we’re making room to listen and having the faith to follow when He leads.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
