Does God still speak to people today?

Perri asked this question on her blog today, and provided a link to Sherri, whose nine year-old daughter will testify to a yes. This reminded me of an experience I had when we lived in Greenwood. I thought I had blogged about it but I can't find it. It was when we were pastoring the Trinity Church (before we started The Living Room) and we were on our way there one Sunday morning.

Since I was in college (and maybe even high school), I have felt that God spoke to me. I would know what to do (or what not to do); I would understand whether people were being truthful ... I call it discernment. I also spoke with God the morning Isaiah died, and I'll tell you that story on his next birthday. It is a rare thing to physically hear the voice of God, and on this particular Sunday morning, my family was blessed that I did.

We lived just off Hwy 31 in Greenwood, IN and had to make a left turn from a side road onto 31 North. Mike often mentioned how dangerous this intersection was as we frequently darted through it. On this morning, I had to wait for the green to proceed through the intersection, and I hadn't rolled more than six feet forward when I heard Mike yell "STOP!!" I immediately slammed on the brakes and everyone's seat belts held them tight as a bright red pickup truck traveling south sped through the intersection just feet in front of us. The truck squealed to a halt but took 3-4 car lengths past the intersection to stop completely. He must have been traveling 50 - 60 mph and would have t-boned our Durango. Mike and the kids may have been ok but I'm not sure I would have survived.

Very shaken, hearts racing, I moved forward with the turn and we proceeded on to church. Mike said I had saved our lives by stopping so suddenly and I said it was him yelling that had really done it.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "I didn't yell."

"I mean when you shouted 'STOP!'" I said. "I didn't hesitate to slam on the brakes when I heard you yell in a voice like that."

He stared at me intently. "Tonya," he said quietly (and he NEVER calls me Tonya), "I didn't say anything. You stopped because you saw the truck coming, right?"

Neither Mike nor the children heard the Voice that morning, but I can say I did not see that truck until it was passing within inches of the front of our halted car. I stopped because a Voice told me to stop and I obeyed.

Does God still speak to people today? He does. You don't have to be a priest or the Pope or even a "good person" to receive direction from God. Does he appear in a cloud or burning bush with a booming voice like Charlton Heston? Well, not usually, but you should hope that you are never in a situation where you need Him to contact you in that manner. It would be easier to do the right thing every day if He sent answer-grams when you had a question, but no one said doing the right thing was easy.

Listen for the quiet Voice of God, every day. He is speaking to you.