We know the scriptures
Or at least are familiar with them
John 10 talks about His sheep knowing His voice
Back in 1 Samuel 3 we hear the story of the boy
Samuel working with Eli in the Temple
And God calling his name
Around January 1986
I was in Theological College
In 1st Year, training for Ordination
I was being obedient to God
By following His call on my life
A call I had received in October 1983
Three short years after saying:
“Yes, Lord” on 21st January 1980
And receiving Jesus and believing in Him
As my personal Lord and Saviour
But in that month of January 1986
God called to me, like He had called Samuel
And I was excited and afraid, at the same time
God wanted to talk to me
But how would He talk to me?
How would I know it was Him?
And not just silly ideas in my own head?
Or worse still, the devil trying to deceive me?
He did talk to me
And He did so through scriptures…
(I need to point out that at that time
I did not know the scriptures
Like I know them now)
So I sat at my desk with a Bible
And a notepad and pen
And pretty much like Samuel, I said:
“Speak Lord, for your servant is listening”
(Now I may not have used those words
But you get the idea)
The strange thing in all of this
Is that it was about 3:00am
Not dissimilar to right now, as I write
Definitely not as late
But I was already in bed
And God spoke to me
And I know He wants me to share this NOW…
So I got up and am writing this story
For someone needs to hear it right now
Partly because He is Lord
And partly because I don’t want to forget
And try to remember it in the morning
So just GET UP and write Alan…
So in 1986 He spoke to me
Scriptures
Books, chapters and verses
And I wrote down whatever came into
My heart or my mind
About six to twelve verses
Then silence
I then looked each one up
And wrote it out
And then sat back and read them together
And WOW – They linked together
And God Almighty was talking to me
This continued for three or four nights in a row
I can’t remember exactly
But I will NEVER forget the last night
And THIS is what is important for someone
Maybe for a number of people
I don’t know, but He does
On that last night
The scriptures STOPPED
There were NO books, chapters and verses
God said:
“Alan, I want to talk with you – directly”
And to my shame – I froze
I panicked, I said “NO”
At that time – I was NOT ready
When God had called me in October 1983
It had taken me three months
To be convinced it was really God
Calling me
Mainly as I was quite happy being a Teacher
And didn’t want to become a Minister
Now He wanted to talk to me
Face to face
No way – through the Bible YES
But how could I be sure it was
God speaking
I was so full of doubt and unbelief
So full of fear of getting it wrong
More sure of my failing
Than of His faithfulness
My point of sharing this
Is that for me
The next ten years
Were spent trying to get back
To the point where God WOULD
Talk to me
I realised I had made a mistake
In saying “NO”
So someone who is reading this
May be in a similar place
Trust your heart
If like me, you have learned
To HEAR God through the Bible
Then REALISE that you CAN
HEAR Him
You have already PROVED
This to yourself
And go with what is in your heart
It is now June 2020
34 years after that encounter
And I hear His voice usually
Every day and multiple times a day
And He is pleased with me
Just as He was pleased with me then
But things might have been different
If I had learned NOT to say “NO”
To God
He has still blessed me
And is blessing me
And He will do the same for you
And IS doing the same for you
But do not STOP or hinder
Things yourself
By being afraid
Of getting it wrong
Of making a mistake
Be bold and strong in who you are
Who you are IN Him
And who He IS in you
And listen to His voice
In whatever way He speaks to you