By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor
One of the most remarkable abilities God has given us is the ability to recognize a familiar voice. A mother can identify her child’s cry in a crowded room. A husband can pick out his wife’s voice from dozens of conversations. And a child knows their father’s voice from across a ballfield full of people. Why? Because familiarity produces recognition. The more time we spend with someone, the easier it becomes to recognize their voice. Jesus used this same truth when He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
That raises an important question: Do we recognize God’s voice? Throughout Scripture, we discover that God is a speaking God. In Genesis, He spoke the world into existence. Through the centuries, He spoke through prophets, priests, kings, visions, and miracles. The God who spoke then has not changed now. The Great “I AM” still is!
One of the clearest examples of this truth is found in Exodus 3, where God speaks to Moses from the burning bush. At this point in his life, Moses was not leading a nation or performing miracles. He was tending sheep in the wilderness. It seemed like an ordinary day. Yet God was preparing to change the course of his life. As Moses came upon a bush that burned without being consumed, the Bible says he turned “aside to see this great sight.” It was only after Moses turned aside that God called his name. There is a powerful lesson here: God often speaks to attentive hearts.
Many of us wonder why we struggle to hear God’s direction, yet we live surrounded by distractions. Our schedules are packed, our minds are occupied, and our attention is constantly divided. The problem is not that God has stopped speaking. Sometimes His voice is being drowned out. It’s not that heaven has gone silent; it is that earth has become so noisy.
When God spoke to Moses, He rooted His message in His character and authority. The same principle remains true today. While most of us will never encounter a burning bush, we have something Moses never possessed: the completed Word of God, which is every bit as authoritative. Scripture is God’s primary means of speaking to His people today. Many believers are searching for a voice from heaven while their Bibles remain closed. Yet the voice they are seeking is already speaking.
While Exodus 3 was not written to us, it was certainly written for us. The Bible contains many messages directed to specific people in specific situations, yet the truths revealed about God are timeless. For example, when God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous,” He was speaking directly to Joshua. We are not Joshua, nor are we leading Israel into the Promised Land. But the same God who strengthened Joshua still strengthens His people today. Through Scripture, we learn His character, His promises, and His ways.
God’s goal in speaking has never been merely to give information. His goal is transformation. When God spoke to Moses, it was not simply to create an unforgettable experience or moment; it was missional. It was an assignment. God called him to action.
The same is true for us. To us, it is through His Word, through His Spirit, through prayer, and through His providential guidance, not simply to inform us, but to lead us. The question is not whether God is speaking. The greater question is whether we are listening. The Great “I AM” is still speaking. His voice still brings wisdom, direction, conviction, and hope. And those who learn to quiet the noise, open His Word, and seek Him faithfully will discover that heaven has not gone silent after all. God is still speaking today.
