New Life Fellowship

09/07/2026

As mentioned earlier about Navy training, we were conditioned to push through the fear and trauma we faced. We had to be prepared for any mission at any time; search, rescue, MEDEVAC, body recovery, special warfare support (CSAR), antisubmarine warfare (ASW), small surface combatant (SSC), etc. The collection of chaos became the norm, and we were able to operate at an insanely elevated intensity level. This allowed us to do well at our job but could only last for so long. Everyone is wired uniquely and handles short and long-term stress differently. Some may have mental and emotional issues in the form of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), while others may not be affected as much in the short or long-term.

Decades after being honorably discharged from the Navy, I am still affected by the trauma I faced and the loss of life I experienced. I’ve had more time to reflect on the past and how those moments impacted my life. And as I continue to lose veterans I served with or those in the Aviation Rescue Swimmer community, my PTSD symptoms can be triggered by secondary trauma.

King David experienced all the symptoms of depression throughout Psalm 102 due to his unconfessed sins. He felt physically broken and lost his purpose for life. He couldn’t eat, or sleep, he felt isolated and was constantly weeping. “My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass” (Psalm 102:3-4).

Depression can come without warning or slowly creep into your life. Where the other responses to trauma (irritability, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, etc.) may feel more active, depression can feel like a quiet or isolated time. It can be paralyzing, where you can’t perform basic functions. It’s vital to talk to a professional therapist and faith-based support groups to help get you beyond this difficult period. The military teaches us to power through difficult times, but there are circumstances that are beyond our ability.

Matthew 11:28 reminds us to not take on the world by ourselves. God is here for us. He wants us to seek Him in all circumstances and release our heavy burdens to Him. He provides us with rest. He provides us with love. He provides us with healing. He provides us with peace. We just need to let Him in.

Daily Journal

Write down times you’ve dealt with depression or the symptoms of depression. Maybe you’ve learned to cope with it or cover it up throughout your life. If you’re dealing with past trauma, invite the Holy Spirit in. Allow Him to take over and guide you toward healing. Be encouraged to seek professional help to work through these difficult areas in your life.

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline - Call 988

09/06/2026

09/06/2026

In the military, you train like you fight and fight like you train. Some jobs are closer to danger, but regardless of your job, when you’re deployed, you’re living at a heightened risk. There’s the unknown of serving and protecting in faraway, unstable areas of the world. And impending doom is a constant thought, whether it’s discussed or not.

King David endured trauma throughout his life, which a lot he brought on himself. When he felt hopeless, he never gave up his trust in the Lord. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2).

I served 2 tours in the Persian Gulf, flying daily mission sets. A nerve-racking moment is when we would enter and exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is an important chokepoint to the Gulf with Iran just miles away for the 90-mile stretch. Due to the threat of Iran and their mobile missile units targeting the Strait, the entire carrier group (aircraft carrier, cruiser, frigates, destroyers, and submarines) are on high alert. We remained in an Alert 5 status as we slowly moved through the night with no lights, just our night vision goggles. Alert 5 means we were ready to clear the flight deck of a full arsenal of aircraft within 5 minutes. F-18’s and F-14’s, loaded with missiles were locked in the catapults ready to launch within seconds. Another crewman and I sat in the HH-60H helicopter manning two mounted M240 machine guns, plus a Marine was onboard holding a gr***de launcher. We would be the first to launch when we got the call to support the ships and aircraft or to even sacrifice ourselves by intercepting an incoming missile to protect the carrier. Fortunately, we didn’t have to do that.

During my first trip through the Strait, I was 20 years old, soaking wet from profusely sweating in my wet suit and flight gear as we sat with the helo chalked and chained with the rotors spinning. Everyone remained eerily quiet on the radios and internal communication system as we anticipated the launch order. I remember experiencing the fear of the unknown that I suppressed, to maintain the discipline I was trained for. I bargained with myself and God, that if I got through safely I would “______” fill in the blank. In those vulnerable and helpless moments, it’s not uncommon to try to regain control by bargaining as if it will affect the outcome of the situation.

Joshua 1:9 is a verse that’s self-explanatory, but sometimes hard to apply in the moment of intense fear. It tells us to be strong and courageous, not terrified or discouraged. When pending doom is surrounding you and you are literally seconds from life or death, it’s easier said than done to not be terrified. God is with us wherever we are, protecting us not only during His plans for us in this life, but also His plans for us in the afterlife. Releasing our fears to Him provides us the peace and clarity to fulfill His plan. We are called to provide our complete trust in Him, no matter the outcome.

Daily Journal

Write down a time you bargained with God in a time of experiencing trauma. Did you follow through with those promises or did you just go back to your normal life after the moment passed?

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline - Call 988

09/05/2026

In 2011, after being out of the Navy for over a decade, I heard the disastrous news of Extortion 17. I had recently returned from climbing Mount Everest and was planning a climbing expedition in Antarctica between speaking and media engagements when I received the news. I was floored by the headlines of Extortion 17 being shot down in Afghanistan. Extortion 17 was a U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter carrying 38 US servicemen, including members of SEAL Team 6. A Taliban fighter got a lucky shot from a rocket-propelled gr***de, which caused the crash, making it the deadliest helicopter incident in the history of US Special Forces. Onboard was my friend who I had the honor of serving with, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin Houston.

I quickly moved from shock and denial to anger. I was furious at all things that I had no information about or control over. I wasn’t there, but I played out all the scenarios that allowed this to happen. I was angry at the enemy. I was angry at God. I wanted revenge. I felt helpless. Useless. Paralyzed.

In times of confusion and desperation, it can seem like God is nowhere to be found. It’s ok to question in these times as it’s part of the process of seeking, understanding, and trusting in God, no matter the circumstance. King David wrote, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).

Anger is a normal masking mechanism but can be unhealthy. It gives us back control of a reaction, which doesn’t help but spiral into more unhealthy anger and hurt. It pushes the emotions aside that we need to deal with, and instead we can experience irrational thoughts. The alternative of unhealthy anger is healthy anger. Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry, and do not sin”. Through guidance from the Holy Spirit, we can use healthy anger to be productive in understanding and confronting evil.

Psalm 34:17-20 reminds us that even in the midst of trauma, where we want to escape the chaos of thoughts and emotions, we must walk them out. God promises to be our source of wisdom and courage to deliver us from these moments. It’s not instantaneous as we would hope, but if we fully trust in Him, we will eventually get to a place of peace. We must accept the fact that we can’t do it on our own and require His help. We should then recognize His mighty power and be thankful for His guidance. In some cases, we may also require outside wisdom and guidance from a resource like a Christian counselor.

Daily Journal

Write in your journal about times you jumped to anger during a response to trauma. How long did that anger last? What effects did it have on the situation and others? If you’re holding pain and regret from that time, take a moment to release that pain to God. It’s in the past. It’s over. You don’t need to carry that burden any longer. Give it to Him.

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline - Call 988

09/04/2026

King David felt shocked and rejected by his friends, family, and God. But he never gave up hope that God would lead him out of despair. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer by night, and am not silent” (Psalm 22:1-2).

In the mid-1990 I was deployed for 6 months flying daily missions to protect the USS Constellation CV-64 aircraft carrier airwing and battle group. One morning, my crew was briefing for a plane guard flight, where we fly patterns to the starboard (right) side of the carrier during flight operations, ready for any potential rescues from fixed-wing mishaps. Our briefing officer informed us that a helicopter from a sister squadron crashed the night prior, killing all on board. We all were impacted since we knew and worked with the deceased crew.

We all experienced shock from the news but quickly pivoted to suppressing the information to continue our military-obligated duties. Denial is a natural numbing defense mechanism, which allows time to absorb the news and process it at a later time. However, the key is to actually process the news later to deal with the trauma and grief. Otherwise, the trauma eventually surfaces in unhealthy forms, both physically and emotionally.

Romans 8:26-27 says even when we don’t know the right words or feelings at the moment that the Holy Spirit is there to pray with us. With God helping us pray we should have the confidence that He will answer. He guides us through times of shock and denial to provide us with what we need at that moment to survive and begin healing. We must get out of our own heads and allow Him to intercede; to take complete control of our life.

Daily Journal

Continue to get your thoughts out in your journal. Think back to times you were in shock and denial of the trauma you experienced. How did you react in those moments? Did you seek the Lord or did you try to get through it on your own?

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline - Call 988

09/03/2026

King David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). He lived an extraordinary life as a shepherd, to giant (Goliath) slayer, to a great warrior and king. But with all the triumph and glory came years of sin and trauma. When David experienced symptoms of what we now call PTSD, including depression, anger, fear, and despair he continually cried out to God. In almost every one of his Psalms, he places his hope entirely in God.

Every human will experience some form of trauma in their lifetime. We can’t compare one trauma to the next as it’s real to the individual experiencing it and we all deal with our experiences differently. Trauma ranges in severity from unexpected shocking events to those that occur in childhood. Additionally, they can be repetitive events in our relationships or work environments.

I served 6 years in the US Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer. My primary function was to jump from the helicopter into the ocean to rescue those in dire need, including downed pilots. The intense training alone is conducted in very traumatic scenarios, in which we were taught to remain calm to save lives. We prepared for any situation in the open ocean or over land to rescue military or civilians in trouble. As Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), we deployed in military hot zones, supporting US special forces with insertions, extractions, and aerial fire support. Each mission brought risk, listing our elite group as one of the top most dangerous jobs in the military.

With 2 tours in the Persian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch, I flew daily mission sets fulfilling the Search and Rescue motto – So Others May Live. I lost several friends and experienced several close calls. But we were trained to ‘suck it up’ and move on with the mission, never truly dealing with the trauma we endured. We didn’t want to be labeled as a risk to fulfill our duties, so we learned coping mechanisms to compartmentalize our feelings. Eventually, for some, that compartment opens in the form of PTSD. Usually, after our time is served.

Isaiah 41:10 lets us know through any trauma or pain we experience in life; we need not fear since God is with us. Our relationship with Him gives us assurance of His mighty power to protect us from sin and death. Through all the pain of those suffering from past trauma, He is there with an extended hand waiting for us to release that pain to Him. It takes courage to experience and survive trauma and it takes equal courage to acknowledge our pain and transfer it to God. I encourage you to take this moment to dig deep and find the strength and courage to release your pain to our everlasting Lord!

Daily Journal

For the next 7 days take time to journal. There’s power in pen and paper. Today write (don’t type) about the trauma that’s been plaguing you. Don’t worry about grammar or structure, just write to get it out. Just like King David did when he journaled his experiences in the Book of Psalms.

National Su***de Prevention Lifeline - Call 988

09/02/2026

As we have already seen, the very faith we exercised when we believed that Jesus died for us, that He is able to give us eternal life, and that He dwells within our hearts is the same faith through which we recognize that God continues to speak to us. He speaks to prompt us to act—or to refrain from acting. He speaks to reveal the consequences of our decisions and to keep us from falling into sin or into situations that may harm us. Our lack of awareness of this reality has often caused us to make poor decisions, fail in our actions, and experience consequences that are far from God's best for our lives.

One of the things that has always impressed me in Scripture is how, in eight different chapters of Proverbs, the opening verse emphasizes God's desire to speak into our lives so that we may avoid poor decisions and turn away from sin.

Proverbs 2:1 – "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you..."

Proverbs 3:1 – "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments."

Proverbs 4:1 – "Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight."

Proverbs 5:1 – "My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding."

Proverbs 7:1 – "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you."

Proverbs 8:1 – "Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?"

Proverbs 12:1 – "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is foolish."

Proverbs 13:1 – "A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke."

In each of these opening verses we find expressions that unmistakably point us toward the voice of God. He calls us to receive His words, keep His commandments within our hearts, remember His instruction, pay close attention, incline our ears, treasure His truth, listen to wisdom's cry, hear His voice, and accept His counsel.

The world, however, generally lives according to moral conscience rather than spiritual guidance. It relies on human reasoning shaped by life experience to anticipate the consequences of its actions and determine what seems right or wrong. But God's children have been given something infinitely greater—the privilege of being led by the voice of their heavenly Father.

Loraine Boettner, in his book The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, addresses humanity's total inability to seek the good of God—or to hear His voice—apart from divine grace. As he writes:

"The doctrine of total inability, which declares that man is dead in sin, does not mean that all men are equally bad, nor that any man is as bad as he could possibly become, nor that every person is entirely devoid of virtue, nor that human nature is evil in itself, nor that the spirit of man is inactive, nor certainly that the body is dead. What it does mean is that since the Fall, man is under the curse of sin, governed by sinful principles, and incapable of loving God or doing anything that merits salvation. His corruption is extensive, though not necessarily intensive." (p. 55)
Another of the most common ways God speaks—and one that is often overlooked despite being so familiar—is through other people.

Many believers choose a particular congregation because they appreciate its worship, the warmth of its fellowship, the comfort of its facilities, the size of the church family, or the style of its preaching and teachers.

Whether they are called sermons, Bible studies, conferences, or messages, we understand that when God's Word is faithfully proclaimed, it is ultimately God speaking through the one who delivers it.

But if we truly believe that, why do we sometimes prefer one speaker over another?

Allow me to ask the question differently.

Many churches have several pastors or teachers; others have only one. Each one brings different gifts, emphases, and theological perspectives. Naturally, certain topics or personalities may appeal to us more than others. We may even choose where to worship based on who is preaching that Sunday or which theological emphasis we enjoy the most.

But is that really the attitude Christ desires?

If we genuinely believe that the Holy Spirit is the One speaking through His servants, then why should our hearts become attached to a particular personality or favorite subject? Shouldn't our greatest desire simply be to hear whatever God wishes to say, regardless of who stands behind the pulpit?

Think back to your years in school.

There were subjects you probably did not enjoy and teachers whose methods made learning difficult. Yet that did not mean they had nothing valuable to teach you. Those classes were not wasted; they were part of your education and growth.

Isn't our spiritual life much the same?

Isn't every sermon, every conference, and every faithful teacher another instrument through whom the Father shapes and matures His children?

Then once again I ask:

Why should we give preference to one personality or one topic above another?

My brother or sister in Christ, the voice of God is present whenever His people gather around His Word.

Certainly, there are false teachers, false prophets, and those who distort the gospel. Scripture warns us of that reality. Yet it is equally true that in countless churches around the world, the sound doctrine of God's Word is faithfully preached and His voice continues to be heard through those who proclaim it.

I encourage you to reflect carefully on this.

How many times have we allowed human preference to speak louder than the Holy Spirit? How often have we focused more on the messenger than on the message?

Take notice.

God's voice is within reach every time you gather with His people. But remember: do not fix your eyes on the person delivering the message. Instead, open your ears to the living Word of the Lord.

What an extraordinary privilege it is to hear the voice of God.

Nothing in the entire universe moves, exists, lives, or fulfills its purpose apart from His command. Everything exists because of His Word, because of His sovereign voice.

And yet, despite our smallness in comparison to the vastness of creation, we have been invited to encounter the very voice of the Creator—to allow His Word to dwell within our hearts, our souls, our spirits, our minds, and even our ears.

What an astonishing thought!

The God of the universe speaks personally to each of His children with eternal purposes of peace, goodness, and blessing.

Now is the time for you to experience the power of God by hearing His voice.

Now is the time to know Christ's will for your life directly from Christ Himself.

Just as we instantly recognize the voice of someone we love over the telephone, on a recording, or calling our name from a distance, we can also learn to recognize the voice of Jesus.

Be assured that doing so will transform not only your life on this earth but your entire being. You will be filled with the knowledge of the Creator's perfect will.

When is the time?

Now.

09/01/2026

Throughout the Bible, God continually emphasizes the importance of paying attention to His voice—of listening to Him and to Him alone. Yet within the spiritual realm there are many voices, one of which belongs to Satan, the father of lies. We will examine that voice in greater detail later.

The word "hear" appears more than 800 times in the Old Testament and nearly 400 times in the New Testament. This alone gives us a clear indication of how essential it is in our walk with Christ to learn to hear the voice of our Lord. Scripture repeatedly urges us to pay close attention to what God desires to tell us—to the words that proceed from His mouth and are spoken directly into our lives.

The Hebrew word for hear is shama, which carries the ideas of hearing intelligently, paying attention, giving ear, discerning, understanding, listening, receiving, and bearing witness. In the New Testament, the Greek word is akouō, meaning to hear, to listen, to obey, to receive what is heard, or to become a hearer.

We can perceive God's voice through our physical ears, through dreams, and through His written Word. His voice surrounds us in a real and unmistakable way. We have been given the ability to perceive it, to know it, and to recognize it. This was true in biblical times, and it remains true today.

Notice how consistently God calls His people to hear His voice. The following are only a few of the many examples found throughout Scripture.

Old Testament

1 Samuel 3:9–10
1 Samuel 12:14–15
Isaiah 1:10
Isaiah 30:30
Isaiah 51:4
Jeremiah 10:1
Micah 6:1
New Testament

Mark 7:14
Luke 5:1
John 5:24
Romans 10:17
Ephesians 1:13
Colossians 1:6
1 John 1:5
Throughout history, God has delivered His message through those whom He chose and sent—His servants, prophets, and messengers—men who had the privilege of hearing His voice. Moses stands as one of the greatest examples, for he literally heard the Creator speaking to him. Without question, Moses possessed remarkable spiritual maturity and an extraordinary willingness to receive God's message.

Yet the same potential exists within you and within me.

We are capable of perceiving spiritual voices with the same sensitivity because our Creator has never changed, nor will He ever change. He still speaks to our lives. He continues to make His voice heard in many different ways today. Our responsibility is to cultivate the silence that comes through prayer and intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ so that we may hear that wonderful voice, the very nourishment of our souls.

At the same time, there are other voices—voices directed by Satan. They seek to confuse us and ultimately destroy our lives. Satan's voice can sound deceptively familiar, and at times it can even be mistaken for God's voice. The enemy is the master of deception, falsehood, and lies (John 8:44).

For that reason, genuine fellowship with God is essential if we are to distinguish His voice from every other voice.

Listening to the enemy is surprisingly easy, especially when we feed the desires of the flesh more than the life of the Spirit (Romans 8:5). When our attention is consumed by the routines and distractions of this world rather than by the supernatural presence of God, we become far more receptive to the voice of the evil one. He can reach us through almost any place, any circumstance, and any means.

This naturally raises an important question:

Why is it so easy to recognize those voices?

The answer is found in the reality of our temporary life in this world.

When we come to Jesus Christ, we become strangers and pilgrims living in a world still under the influence of Satan's dominion. It is only through genuine communion with God, through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit, that we become increasingly able to hear God's voice above every other voice.

The day will come when we enter eternal life with Christ. We will finally be where we truly belong, and we will hear only His voice.

Until then, we must continually bring our thoughts into obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), allowing ourselves to become increasingly familiar with His voice.

It is our fallen nature—not our renewed spirit—that makes listening to Satan seem easier than listening to God.

Allow me to illustrate this with an example from my own experience as an orchestral musician.

If I have performed a particular symphony many times, I know exactly how it sounds. I know when my entrance is coming, often without needing to constantly look at the score. But when I am unfamiliar with a piece, I must depend heavily on the written music because I simply do not yet know how it sounds. The result is a performance that lacks the same confidence and freedom.

The same principle applies to hearing God's voice.

The more familiar we become with Him, the more naturally we recognize His voice. His voice produces success, comfort, strength, encouragement, authority, and spiritual power in our lives. But this comes only through consistent and genuine fellowship with Him.

God's voice also develops what might be called a spiritual sense of hearing. This is the inner ability to perceive His Spirit speaking to our spirit, producing obedience—not necessarily because we have received an audible command, but because we possess an unmistakable inward conviction of what He is communicating.

God's voice is available to everyone who truly believes in Him.

As mentioned earlier, it would be inconsistent to have enough faith to believe in eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, Christ's resurrection from the dead, and His indwelling presence in our hearts, yet refuse to believe that He is still able to speak to us.

Even now, at this very moment, God is speaking to your spirit, to your mind, and perhaps—even to your ears.

The Father longs to communicate with each one of us. We must learn to embrace the necessary silence and withdraw from the distractions around us so that we can distinguish His beautiful voice.

It is much like receiving a phone call in a noisy place. Instinctively, you move somewhere quieter so you can hear and understand the person speaking to you.

The same is true with the voice of God.

Jeremiah 23:18 says,

"For who has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear His word? Who has paid attention to His word and listened?"

Notice that the passage says both "seen" and "heard."

We see God's Word as we read the Scriptures, but we also hear His voice through that spiritual faculty of hearing that He has given us.

To stand in the secret counsel of the Lord speaks of that place of separation and intimacy mentioned earlier. Hearing God's voice becomes far easier when we cultivate a personal relationship with Him—when we enter that quiet place of peace and stillness where His voice can be heard more clearly.

As Elijah discovered, the Lord often speaks not through the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but through "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11–12).

08/31/2026

Hearing God's voice is not something that should lie beyond our spiritual understanding. On the contrary, it should be something we are fully convinced we can experience. Hearing His voice should never be viewed as something extraordinary or unattainable—even though it is, in itself, miraculous. Rather, it should be a natural and everyday part of our Christian walk.

Whenever we receive words of encouragement from our employers, friends, parents, leaders, or pastors, we immediately feel inspired to keep moving forward. We instinctively believe that if someone else sees potential in us, then that potential must truly exist. But when we hear the voice of our Creator, we receive far more than emotional encouragement to pursue our goals—we gain access to the most precious treasure of all: the promises of God.

I remember when I was studying for my degree. My greatest motivation for becoming a professional musician was my love for music. Yet as the years passed at the conservatory, I faced disappointments that filled me with uncertainty about my studies, my ability to finish my education, and even my future career. At the same time, I also remember that it was the encouraging words of those around me that kept me going, enabling me to complete my studies and secure a good job.

Shortly after graduating, someone told me about Jesus—about the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of eternal salvation, and the comfort that only the Lord can give, a comfort I desperately needed.

Years later, as I reflected on my years at the conservatory, I found myself praying:

"Lord, I am grateful that I completed my education and became a professional. But nothing compares with hearing Your voice—the voice that strengthens me, encourages me, inspires me, and empowers me to live a victorious life."

Our greatest motivation should be to fulfill God's purpose for our lives, for nothing compares with that calling.

Throughout His Word, God gives us countless commandments, promises, warnings, and instructions. The ability to embrace them, meditate upon them, and faithfully apply them to our lives comes through one thing alone: obeying His voice.

Because the Scriptures are divinely inspired, they reveal that God literally spoke to those who wrote each book of the Bible. The word "inspiration" found in Scripture comes from the Greek pherō, meaning "to carry" or "to bring." In other words, God carried His message to those who recorded His Word.

Think about it for a moment.

When you or I want to deliver a message to someone today, we have countless ways to communicate. Modern technology has made communication almost instantaneous. With the press of a button, we can send a message anywhere in the world.

But what about biblical times?

How would you have delivered a message to another person?

No matter the method, the message had to be carried.

How were messages delivered in ancient times? How were instructions, explanations, historical accounts, traditions, and stories passed from one generation to another?

Primarily through spoken words.

Someone might object, "Not only through speech—there were also pictographs and written documents."

That is certainly true. However, throughout history—and even today—whatever could not be communicated personally and verbally because of distance was communicated in writing or through other visual means.

Do you see the principle?

Writing has always served as an extension of spoken communication.

In exactly the same way, God spoke then—and He continues to speak today.

The Bible is, quite literally, His Word.

And what comes from a person's mouth except words?

God speaks to our lives in the same way He spoke to Moses. He addressed him with authority, just as He addresses us through the Scriptures—with words of encouragement, confidence, strength, and power. He revealed His will to Moses just as He reveals His will to us. He showed Moses what was yet to come, just as He does through the prophetic books of the Bible. He gave Moses promises that only the Creator of the universe could make, just as He gives those same promises to us through the Holy Scriptures.

God's voice is as near to us—and as audible—as the place His Word occupies within our hearts.

This wonderful Book was not left on earth by accident. It is not the product of chance, nor is it a collection of purposeless writings. On the contrary, it is the manual for life. It is the voice of God instructing us from the earliest days of our spiritual journey and shaping us into the people the Father has chosen us to become.

If you have been blessed with the privilege of being a parent, you will probably agree with the following.

You guide your children so that they will become people of integrity—individuals who contribute positively to society and who are grounded in strong moral values and sound character. You do this through the wisdom, experience, knowledge, and discernment you have gained over the years. You teach them by speaking to them: offering advice, setting boundaries, giving correction, encouraging them, and promising rewards for doing what is right.

That is precisely how our heavenly Father relates to us.

There is no one with greater wisdom, knowledge, or discernment than our beloved Creator. And He exercises those very qualities by speaking to us through His Word.
2 Peter 1:21
Amos 3:7
1 Peter 2:9
2 Timothy 3:16-17