Communication is a Two-Way Street!

Today I was watching Deliver Us from Eva, a 2003 movie starring LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union, and while I was watching the movie, there was a part where LL's character, Ray was talking to Eva (Union) and he said “It's hard to get to know someone when they won't talk to you.” Some of you might be wondering where I’m going with this but when I heard this, I felt that was God talking to me. Before I proceed, I will say that I don't usually watch TV, but this day, I just happen to turn on the TV. On another note, while journaling is my way of talking to God daily, pouring out to Him everything that I feel about things that happen, and to thank him for everything...this day I didn’t feel like talking because I was moody, cranky, and tired...but while watching TV, that message was for me to talk to God.

Though God knows everything about us, he still wants us to talk to Him. In the movie, one of the reasons Ray made the statement "It's hard to get know someone when they won't talk to you" is because he was trying to get to know her to have a relationship with her. Surely many of us have heard the saying, without communication, there is no relationship...and so with that being said, in order to have a relationship with someone, you must communicate. And it's the same way with our relationship with God. For most of us, our relationship with God is based on us talking to Him, where we share our true thoughts, questions, experiences, needs, and desires. However, God wants more than just talking. He wants a relationship, a relationship of the kind that can come only by talking and listening. After all, a relationship is a two-way street. Let's look at the two-way conversation between Gideon and God.

In Judges 6:36-40, God listens to Gideon and communicates to him.
36 Then Gideon said to God, "If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, 37 prove it to me in this way. I will put some wool on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised." 38 And it happened just that way. When Gideon got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Please don't be angry with me, but let me make one more request. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew." 40 So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.  

Isn't it amazing how the Lord chooses to communicate?

As you see here, communication with God is a two-way street. It’s a give and take process.  We talk and he listens. He talks and we listen. It's important to note that while God communicates to us primarily today through His Word, He communicates with us in other ways as well. Job 33:14 says, ¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another... In the Bible, he used talking animals, a burning bush, angels, visions, and a “still small voice” to speak to his people. But for you, God may speak to you through your inner spirit, other people, circumstances, or several other means. For myself, I communicate to God through prayer. But my favorite way of communicating with God is through prayer journaling. However, God communicates to me through His word, the Bible. For example, one time I was praying asking God if the guy I was dating was my husband, and he answered me in John 4:18..."and the man you now have is not your husband". Not only that, but he also talked to me about moving from relationship to relationship just like the Samaritan woman. Then there was another time I was complaining about my pay, and I just opened my bible to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 3 and the verse that jumped out at me was "be content with your wages".  It's amazing how God speaks through Scripture! John 8:47 says, "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says."

In sum, our God is a communicating God, and he desires to communicate with us all the time. He wants us to talk to him, and he wants to talk to us. All you have to do is talk with him as you are having a conversation with a friend. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The key is that we must draw near first. So let's all make a decision to talk with God, and listen for his voice. Remember, communication is a two-way street!