Hi. It's me--God. Are you listening?

When God's trying to get your attention, He may not audibly announce it--like, "Hi. It's me--God. Are you listening?" So how do you hear, see and know His direction for your life?

The "Idiots" of the Bible

If you're like me, you've probably laughed at some of the people in the Bible before.

You know, people like Gideon who asked God for direction for His life--complete with a million signs--that God graciously gave him (and as a side note, if you read closely, you'll see that Gideon actually got an extra bonus sign he didn't even ask for--see Judges 7:13-15).

Or maybe you've been annoyed with the children of Israel, who had problems trusting the God who miraculously freed them from slavery, parted the Red Sea, guided their (literal) steps with a cloud and pillar of fire, and provided food miraculously for them every single day.

If you're like me, you've probably thought, "These people are idiots! God was right there. He was guiding them--sometimes even talking to them audibly--and they still couldn't trust Him!"

But wait, there's more ...

(I felt a bit like an infomercial spokesperson writing that, but it's true!). Hold on before you get carried away in your criticism of the "idiots." Because when it comes to trusting God, I know I've been an idiot before ... and odds are you have, too.

Yes, there have been times in my life where I've felt like God was silent. But with the benefit of hindsight, sometimes I've seen that He wasn't--I just might not have been listening or looking for His direction when it was right there. Or maybe it came in an unexpected way.

I think that asking for God's direction is definitely the first step. But actually trusting Him enough to listen or look for answers is also key. And usually, God is gracious enough to put answers in front of your face repeatedly.

The Real Story...

Take this topic, for example. I'm writing about it because I think it's a reminder that God has put in my own heart recently.

I'm organized. I'm detailed. I actually LIKE planning. (I know some of you will think this is completely bizarre--but it's how I'm wired.) For the most part, these are good traits God put in me that actually have helped my life. But when it comes to asking for God's direction--and trusting Him--it has sometimes meant that I've wanted a burning bush, an audible voice, Mapquest-GPS-style step-by-step directions ... or, better yet, a tour guide and driver with a comfy town car.

But I've been reminded recently that God doesn't always work that way. And honestly, would life be as much fun if I knew every single detail in advance? Here's a few of the ways God has reminded me of this message (trust Him, look for His guidance) in the last two weeks:

• Our small group series on "Friends and Family" touched on God-assigned connections--people God puts in our lives for a reason. It made me feel grateful for the signature of God on some of my friendships ... and also made me wonder, "Are there God-assigned connections in my world that I've been missing? Am I actively looking for them?"
  
  
• A conversation with a fantastic God-assigned connection I hadn't seen in awhile ... who spoke honestly and openly about trusting God in her own life. Her example of hope and strength was really encouraging and inspiring to me.
  
  
• A sermon by a guest speaker titled "I See" about how your perspective shapes your experience. In this message, the speaker talked about the story of Abraham and Isaac and how Abraham really exemplified such faith and trust in God (without Mapquest directions!).
  
  
• The day after the message, I was reading in my regular devotional time. I've been reading Romans lately and lo and behold, came across some amazing verses on this exact same topic (and Abraham's story again, too, by the way). They're so good, that I thought I'd also include them here:
  

Romans 4:4-5

If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay;
we don't call your wages a gift.
But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do,
and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God.
Sheer gift.

Romans 4:13-15

That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do.
It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him,
which Abraham then entered when he believed.
If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract!
That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal.
A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect.
But if there is no contract in the first place,
simply a promise—and God's promise at that—you can't break it.

Hmm ... do you think it was a coincidence? Or is God trying to get my attention? He used a few messages, a friend and His Word to remind me of something very essential to my life--that faith is required. That I have to trust in His promises--even when I may not know exactly how they're going to happen.

Because I'll fail if I try to do everything myself, in my own strength of detailed organization and control. I have to leave space for God's undeniable fingerprint--enough to where I can step back and look at situations in my life and go, "Whoa! That wasn't me--that wasn't possible--without God." And yes, I'll probably still be an idiot sometimes ... but hopefully, I will be continually learning to depend on God's strength and guidance.