When God shows up, it’s often in the strangest places and when you least expect Him. That’s good, because we know the principle: “Low predictability, high impact!” He likes to surprise us because He knows we remember things better that way.

There is no one like Him! When He speaks, it’s like time stands still and you are only aware of Him. His voice thunders, the psalmist wrote, and He’s thundered in my heart more than once. When that happens, I am awestruck, humbled, undone. Like Job, I suddenly understand how little I know and how much I need Him to understand the things that really matter.

I don’t want to be like the children of Israel, who told Moses to go speak to God and get His instructions, then come back and let them know what He said. That is tragic! They missed out on the amazing privilege of hearing from God. Even if His voice thunders and I tremble, I want to hear Him for myself.

The most common way He speaks to me is through His written word, the Bible. All Christians have likely experienced this: You read a passage you think you know well and suddenly the words give you a new depth of understanding. It’s like they have been illuminated by God’s Spirit. Or, suddenly the passage makes sense in the context of your life … you feel it is God speaking to you personally and specifically. Perhaps the Word will inspire you, or redirect you, or encourage you in the midst of difficult circumstances. Whatever you hear from the Good Shepherd, it will not be confusing or random. It will not leave you discouraged or in despair. Rather, it will bring healing to your soul in whatever form you need it.

God can speak through other things in our world too — another person, our circumstances, prayer, worship, something in nature, or maybe a dream or vision. When these come our way, it’s easy to discount them. They may not fit into our carefully crafted doctrinal box. They may, in fact, seem contrary to all we’ve ever experienced before. But … and this is the important piece that helps us discern if the message is truly from God … if it brings us into a relationship with the Son, or enables us to know and serve Him better, we can safely assume we are hearing something from the Lord.

I’ve never been spoken to by a donkey, like Balaam was (see Numbers 22). But He’s used other things — a secular movie, a stranger, an illness, a child, a service opportunity — to get my attention. The world is filled with His voice if we have ears to hear. Jesus told His disciples “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Matthew 13:16-17). What did they see and hear? Jesus, the fulfillment of all of God’s promises!

God wants us to better understand who He is. He wants to break us out of our tight little evangelical straightjackets to really experience life with Him. Fully and joyfully and expectantly. If we trust Him, He will lead us to a larger place (Psalm 18:19) that is full of light, righteousness, mercy, and grace.

If we want to live the abundant life, it is found in Jesus. Jesus alone. I love how Paul expressed his purpose in preaching and teaching: “My purpose is that they [the believers] may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).

We can see God and hear Him … He is manifesting himself in the world all the time. But we must watch and listen for Him everywhere, even in surprising places. Never doubt that God can speak anywhere. Just make sure that if you hear something spiritually, you have heard from Him and not from the enemy. How do we know? Jesus is the plumb line. Whatever points us to Him, glorifies Him, prods us to become more like Him, can be trusted. And should be heeded and obeyed.

So go forth every day expecting to hear and see. You’ll be amazed — and changed — as you discover the treasures hidden in Him.