God’s Voice, literally

So real you’d believe it had actually happened. Have you ever experienced one of those types of dreams? So incredibly vivid; clearer than any High Def T.V. I can recall this dream in quite the detail, but you know what I remember the most? The sound. There was a voice and spoke one phrase, a few words that have held me together when I wanted nothing more than to fall part. Did I mention that this dream was over 7 years ago?
 
Often I’ve heard people say, “God doesn’t talk to me” or “I’ve never heard God speak audibly”. He will and sometimes He does. You see we are so small in our own thinking that we find ourselves putting boundaries on God. Now rarely do we want to admit this. We say things like, “God can do anything!” But how often do we live with this conviction? Admittedly I have, at times, lived with a small amount of doubt tucked away in the corner of my mind. Asking, or should I say, thinking a million questions. What if God doesn’t really care? What if this situation not only not changes, but gets worse?
I had this friend who I was very concerned about. I had watched her make one terrible choice after another, hurting not only herself but her marriage, kids, friends… I had been praying for her and made up my mind to talk to her. That night, as I closed my eyes, little did I know that God was going to talk to me.
 
I saw my friend standing outside of a place I knew well. As she was standing there a huge tornado of fire came swiftly from the sky. As I stood there just watching it completely engulfed her. Then I heard it. His voice. God uttered just one sentence, “Do not let it consume you.” Wait, what? Me? It was her that was on fire, not me. I was the one who was going to save her; I was going to put out the flames. Right?
 
Talk about being wide awake. There was no time to yawn, stretch or even think about coffee. I wanted answers. Preferably, now too! I was lost in my own thoughts of what this dream meant. Why would God tell me not to be consumed? The first place I went was my Bible. God has often shown me things through reading His words. But this was not the case.
 
A few weeks passed and nothing. Until the truth was revealed about things she had been a part of that would not only cause me to question every trusted relationship I had but to question the very God who I lived to serve. I was broken, heart ache like I’d never experienced. And then…
 
“Do not let it consume you.”
 
These words came back to me and were like a salve to my broken spirit. God had not only given me a heads up but He had provided the very words that I needed to hold on to. He knew that if I hadn’t clearly heard Him I might be open to doubting of His love for me. Perhaps I would have let life and the hurts that come, consume me. One scripture in particular that says it all is Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion’s never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” I will not be consumed by life, pain, struggles, hurt or disappointment. Will you?
 
-A