Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

As the darkness separated from the light, an audible exhalation rippled through the congregation only to be sharply indrawn again as widened eyes waited for earth’s waters to part, making room for the formation of land. Hands crept over mouths as they struggled to keep silent while the Artist worked. It would prove impossible. Being quiet, that is. It was all so exciting! So amazing! So powerful! As plants and trees sprang up on the land, angelic eyes danced in radiant joy. When the waters filled with living creatures of every color, their elation could barely be withheld. As the land teemed with cattle and goats, lions and bears, emu and ostrich, they bounced on their toes in exhilaration! He had done it! Done all of it! Simply with the sound of His voice. They could barely contain their jubilation. 

They didn’t have to. Gazing over His newly formed masterpiece, the face of God split in an incredible smile and His voice boomed out the announcement that it was good. Very good. All of it. Not one part had gone awry. Nothing was amiss. It was altogether perfect. It was beautiful. It was good. As the words left His lips, the angelic host broke into joyous celebration. 

Singing erupted. Applause broke out. Shouts of triumphant joy echoed across the expanse of Heaven. He had done it! All of it! Every word He had spoken had come to pass. Their absolute amazement was overwhelming. Without lifting a hand, nodding His head, or pointing His chin. Without a pattern, a blueprint, a trial effort. Without help, a team of experts, a squad of underlings. God. Had. Done it. Alone. And it was good. Wonderfully good. Amazingly good. Brilliantly so. (Genesis 1:1-24; Job 38:4-7; Psalm 29:3-9; Psalm 33:6) 

It wouldn’t last. The peace and serenity of the place God created for mankind would be broken by the selfishness and sin of those same humans. Drawn aside by temptation and lured into wanting what was not theirs to have, the people God had placed in the perfect garden of Eden would choose to opt-out. Choose disobedience. They would choose to leave His generous care to walk in their own paths of pain and suffering. Perfection would give way to error and evil. Even the earth God created would age and change, yet one thing would remain the same. God would still be speaking. (Genesis 3; Job 33:14-18)

Never would God sit in silence and ignore the horrific state of the people inhabiting His earth. Regardless of the mess in which they entangled themselves, God would still speak. No matter how far they strayed. Despite their disobedience, emotional upheaval, age, rank, or spiritual space. God would speak. Frequently. His words might not always come in a booming voice from Heaven. They would not always be preceded by rolling thunder and flashing lightning. The ground wouldn’t always shake at the sound of His voice. Yet God would never stop speaking, His voice echoing from the least likely places. Like the lips of a donkey. 

Caught in the crossfire of his own disobedience, Balaam saddled his donkey and headed off on an ill-advised mission. God tried to stop him. Sent an angel to stand in his way. He didn’t see it. So blinded was Balaam by his own determination, that he missed the angel, the drawn sword, the whole message. His donkey didn’t. One look at that avenging angel sent him bouncing off into a field to save their lives.  

Balaam didn’t notice the mercy. Didn’t recognize the deliverance. Didn’t appreciate the effort. He was absolutely not in the mood to have his plans foiled. Filled with irritation, he raised his stick and beat the donkey, persuading it to leave the safety of the field and return to the open road. Not once do we read that Balaam looked to see what had spooked his animal. He didn’t look for snakes in the road. Didn’t cast a wary eye around the area to look for lions or bears. Didn’t even apologize to the beast for whipping it unjustly. So intent was Balaam on his own agenda, he missed it when God tried to speak. It wouldn’t be the last time.

Twice more God would send His angel to stand in the path of Balaam’s donkey. Twice more the donkey would act out of character to spare Balaam’s life. Balaam would never catch on. Never feel the danger. Never notice the angel. Not until God spoke. Through the donkey. There’s something about a donkey turning its head and giving you a scolding that gets your attention! Or at least it should!

Oddly, Balaam seems completely nonplussed by his talking equine. In less than righteous indignation, he stood there and talked right back. Balaam doesn’t seem to be even a little surprised by the donkey’s newfound talent. It doesn’t phase him even a little bit. He keeps running his mouth until God intervenes, opens his eyes, and illuminates the reason for the hold-up. God wants to speak with Balaam and He wants him to listen. Really listen. Hear God’s words. Hear His heart. Balaam needs to understand some things. Serious things. Spiritual things. Things about the reckless path he has chosen to follow. Insights into repentance and obedience. Things Balaam would never have considered had God not chosen to speak through a list of pit stops, a terrifying angel, and the mouth of a donkey. (Numbers 22:31-39)

This wouldn’t be the last time God would speak. Over and again through the ensuing centuries, God would continually contact His people. Those ignoring Him. Those seeking Him. Those desperate to find Him, hear His voice, see His face. People like Elijah. Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from the list of draining events that brought him running to that cave on Horeb. He’d had enough. The last three years had sapped every ounce of courage and strength from his soul. Pronouncing a prolonged drought. Running to hide at Cherith. Traveling to Zaraphath. Facing Ahab. Fleeing Jezebel’s wrath. Feeling alone, defeated, rejected, useless. Yet, as the darkness and depression threaten to conquer Elijah’s mind and take over his soul, God speaks. Not in lashing wind, a rattling earthquake, or a blazing fire. No. Elijah didn’t need the powerful, majestic, awe-inspiring theatrics in that moment. He needed peace, comfort, calm, and healing. And God gave it to him. In a gentle whisper. (I Kings 18-19:13)

Dedicated and abandoned to God at a delicate age, Samuel lay on his bed slowly succumbing to sleep when he heard his name. Bolting upright, he threw off the blanket and rushed out to see what Eli, his teacher and mentor, needed. Arriving at Eli’s side, he was met with confusion. Eli hadn’t called. It must have been a dream. So he went back to bed. Again, as his eyes began to drift closed in slumber, his name sounded through the darkness. Again he dashed to Eli’s side. Again, he was sent back to bed. A third time he heard his name and ran to Eli, but by now Eli had figured it out. God was calling Samuel. By name. Audibly. To be His prophet. To speak His words to people who chose to ignore His words, His ways, His commands. Sending Samuel back to bed, Eli gave instructions for the next time he heard his name. He must listen. Listen to God. Hear His words. Heed His call. No matter how young or inexperienced Samuel was, God was speaking. To Samuel. It was imperative that he listen. (I Samuel 3:1-10)

You see, God always speaks. To everyone. No one walks this earth never hearing from God. He comes to us in the way we will most pay attention. Some of us need something cataclysmic to break our selfish compulsion to sin. Some need a wake-up call that jolts them out of self-destructive habits and addictions. Like Elijah, some of us need a voice of peace and hope in an existence that seems worthless, hopeless, bleak. Like Samuel, all of us need to learn to recognize God’s voice and listen intently when He speaks. Because He will speak. It is the most powerful thing God does. 

Yes. You read that correctly. Speaking is the most powerful thing God does. He speaks and things happen. We know it is true. We have read the Biblical accounts. We have seen the modern-day miracles. Sins are forgiven. Hearts are changed. Those dead in trespasses and sins are resurrected to new life in Christ. So, knowing this, why is it so infrequent that we simply ask God to speak? To the sinner, the straggler, the saint. To the disappointed, the despondent, the distant. To those in great need and those able to provide for great needs. Instead of hemming and hawing and hinting around, what if we just ask God to speak?!? What if we don’t give Him pointers about what to say? What if we ask Him to speak and trust Him to figure out the words?  What if we fall on our knees and cry out wholeheartedly, “Speak, Lord!”? What if we get quiet enough to listen? (Ephesians 2:1-10; Jeremiah 10:13; Mark 7:24-30; John 4:46-54)

In the noisy hubbub of our society, I hope you can find a place to get alone and ask God to speak. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere away from all the distractions. Somewhere God’s voice will be the only voice you hear, the loudest voice in the room. And I hope you listen. Listen to what God has to say to you, for you. Hear it. Heed it. Then stay there. Hang out in that quiet place and ask again. For the straying loved one. For the struggling friend. For your sidetracked child. For anyone. For everyone. Ask Him to speak. Ask Him to help them listen. Then leave Him to it. (Luke 11:9; Matthew 21:22; John 5:24-28; Psalm 85:8)