God Still Speaks

I have had the question asked me a number of times. “Does God still speak today?” That is usually followed by another question, “If He does still speak, why don’t I hear Him.”

For all of us there are times when we find it hard to hear God’s voice. We spend time alone with Him to listen. We seek Him in His word and we speak to Him in prayer. Yet there seems to be no response. I have been in that valley. I know the struggle of wanting to hear God’s voice and direction and coming up empty. That is not to say that I do not believe God is speaking. I believe God speaks to His children. And I also believe that God chooses not to speak at times. However, more often my struggle is, whether I am listening.

A few weeks ago, I was struggling through an issue before me. I felt overwhelmed by the issue and I struggled with my thoughts and my emotions. I was with my two boys and I decided that we needed a walk to the playground. The boys jumped up into the stroller and we were off. I say we were off but, sadly, I was not there. I was there physically pushing the stroller, but I was alone with my thoughts and in prayer.

As we turned the corner, I started to hear a tune. It started softly as if in the background but then it emerged with great volume. The words to the tune started coming to my mind.

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

I then remembered the words to the second verse:

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

The tune kept on and the words of that last line grew stronger and stronger. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Take it to the Lord in prayer. TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER.

It is then that I began to cry. I cried because of God’s voice. I cried because of His message. “Give it to me Deryk, I will take care of it. Take it to me in prayer.” And I cried because this beautiful hymn, this powerful message from God, was being hummed by my oldest, Sam. He sat there quietly and just hummed away, not knowing that God was using him to bless his Dad.

“Sam,” I said, “do you know what you are singing?”

“No, Daddy.”

“Well keep humming as I tell you the words of the song.”

I explained to him the hymn and why the words were so precious to me in that moment. Then after a few moments of silence I spoke up again, “Sammy.”

“Yes Daddy.”

“Daddy loves you.”

Isn’t it great to know that our Daddy loves us even more than I love my boys. He wants to speak to us and share His love with us. He wants to be with us in the hard times and the good times. He wants to remind us that we can take all of our struggles and give them to Him in prayer.

Yes, He still speaks. And He does it in such wonderful ways.