When we consider the subject, God speaking to us, it's very easy to succumb to the arrogance of saying, "If God wants to speak to me, He can do it directly. I don't want Him going through anyone else."

The problem is, left to ourselves, this easily becomes a matter of self centered subjectivity. Too easily we will "hear what we want to hear" or interpret what we hear according to our own self interests. So God gives us other members in the Body of Christ to provide a check, a confirmation point for us. This comes through such means as preaching, teaching, counsel, prophetic messages, or at times tongues with interpretation.

People in Old Testament times understood this. Listen to what they said to Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."(Exodus 20:19)

But this is not to be relegated to the Old Testament. Both Paul and Peter understood their role to include the responsibility of speaking for God.

Paul wrote, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7)

"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:17)

From Peter we have these words, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:11)

There are other ways God may speak to us.

Perhaps while in prayer there comes an awareness that God is speaking, if only we can take the time to listen.

Or perhaps through the circumstances of our lives: "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice." (Jeremiah 22:21)

And also through Dreams, Visions, and Angels (to the seven churches) "And the angel answering said unto him, 'I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.'" (Luke 1:19)

But with all of this, of greatest importance to us today is God speaking to us through the Scripture, the Bible. Listen to what Peter wrote, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20,21)

And in Paul's instructions to Timothy he wrote, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16,17)

While there may be times when God will speak to us using a variety of means - He may even use a donkey! - for the most part, God will speak to us through His Word, the Bible.

However, this too is not exempt from possible misuse and subjectivity. Most of us know this saying is true, "you can get the Bible to say anything you want it to." It is for this reason the Lord has provided teachers in the church. Theirs is the responsibility to help us understand the meaning.

The beginning of this teaching ministry goes all the way back to Nehemiah's day: "They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read." (Nehemiah 8:8)

We should not go to the extreme represented during certain parts of the church's history when the people were not allowed to read the Bible for themselves. But neither should we accept the opposite fallacy of believing that everyone is able to correctly interpret the Scripture equally well.

Taken from "God Speaks":   http://www.webedelic.com/church/speaks.htm

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