When (and How) God Speaks

In Matthew 1:18 - 2:23, in the story of "how the birth of Jesus came about", God communicates His will to the main players in the redemptive drama at every point. I have no problem with God speaking. He speaks to us through His word, the Scriptures. That's a "given". But that's not what He does here. He uses a different way. Five times in this section, He speaks to someone "in a dream" (1:20, 2:12, 13, 19, 22). And no one in the text seems too surprised at this; they treat it as if it's to be expected, as if it's just God's way; not uncommon at all.

So, what am I to do? As a follower of Jesus, I must not place limits on how He can speak to me. I must trust Him with His choice of "media" to communicate His love and will to me. And I must be open to His choice. Does He speak to me through His written word? Yes. But I must always let Him choose to speak to me in whatever ways He wants.

The other lesson in this section is seen in the responses to the dreams. After each dream, the recipient obeyed as soon as they awoke. They did not question the dreams or whether it was God or not. They just simply obeyed upon waking.

Regardless of how God speaks, do I simply obey as soon as I hear the word? Do I trust Him to speak clearly or do I question it based on my ability to hear? The former is faith and dependence upon Him; the latter is doubt and reliance upon self. Which do I choose the most? If I want to move in the purposes of God, I must trust Him to speak His word to me clearly. And I must always trust Him for the ability to hear the word and to obey the word. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.