GOD IS SPEAKING

Sep 21, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Hearing Your Name in the Wilderness

A shepherd hears his name crackling through flames. God speaks not in cosmic riddles but with clarifying immediacy – to Moses through a burning bush, to us through ordinary moments charged with holy purpose. He uses language we grasp, meeting us in our deserts of doubt or routine. The God who named Moses still calls His people into identity and mission, cutting through life’s static with intimate recognition. Listen for the voice that knows your story. [03:29]

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
(Exodus 3:4-6, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been waiting for a burning bush moment when God’s already speaking through ordinary details? What makes you hesitant to answer “Here I am” today?

Day 2: When “Who Am I?” Meets “I Am With You”

Eighty-year-old Moses lists his inadequacies like receipts – too old, inarticulate, a failed liberator. God counters not with compliments but covenant presence. Our objections (“I’m too young,” “They know my mess,” “I’ll freeze up”) crumble before the “I AM” who inhabits imperfect obedience. His patience outlasts our spiraling doubts, transforming shaky questions into altars where fear meets faithfulness. [06:22]

But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
(Exodus 3:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Which of Moses’ excuses (“Who am I?” “What if…?” “Send someone else”) echoes in your current struggle? How might “I will be with you” reshape that narrative?

Day 3: Delight Before Desire: The Heart of Hearing

A teenager reads Psalm 37:4 as a prosperity formula. A man mid-journey discovers the verse’s true rhythm: delight first, transformed desires follow. God’s word often unsettles before it comforts, challenging our consumerist spirituality. Like a friend who speaks hard truths, Scripture realigns our cravings with Christ’s heartbeat. Don’t flip pages seeking validation – linger until the text flips you. [15:41]

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been seeking desires more than delight? How might approaching Scripture as communion rather than consultation change your next Bible reading?

Day 4: Unexpected Assignments in Life’s Ditches

Sheep tumble into gullies; saints stumble into holy interruptions. Moses’ desert detour became deliverance’s training ground. God speaks through the coworker who keeps appearing, the delayed dream that protects, the stranger’s crisis intersecting your skills. His GPS reroutes us toward kingdom appointments – not always scenic, but always sacred. [23:04]

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
(Proverbs 15:22, ESV)

Reflection: What recurring “interruption” might be a divine appointment? When has a closed door later revealed protection rather than punishment?

Day 5: The Shepherd’s Voice Through the Noise

Stubborn sheep ignore imposters’ calls. Christ’s flock discerns the voice that named them before birth – not because it’s loudest, but because it’s layered with sacrificial love. Eternal security rests not in our grip on doctrine but in the Shepherd’s grip on us. Amid life’s cacophony, His whisper cuts through: “Follow.” [30:42]

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
(John 10:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: What competing voices most drown out Christ’s call this week? How does His promise of secure belonging free you to follow without full visibility?

Sermon Summary

God is not silent. God still speaks in 2026, but busy lives can leave people listening only for the yes they want, on the timeline they want, in a way that suits them. God speaks in ways people can understand, just as he called Moses by name from the burning bush and identified himself clearly. God was not speaking in code to a shepherd on the backside of the desert. God made his voice plain enough for Moses to hear.

Hebrews says that God spoke long ago through the prophets, but God has spoken most clearly through his Son. Jesus Christ is not one voice among many. Jesus is the clearest speech God has ever given. Scripture already says crystal-clear things that people often ignore, even while asking God for a burning bush moment.

Moses shows that God is patient with questions and fears. Moses asks, “Who am I?” He worries that people will not believe him, says he cannot speak well, and finally asks God to send someone else. God does not end the conversation. God answers Moses with reassurance: “I’ll be with you.” Fear can sound like “I’m too young,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t know enough,” “What if they ask something I cannot answer?” or “Somebody else will do it.” God has an answer for every question that rises when his call becomes personal.

God speaks through his Word, through prayer, through circumstances, and through people. The Word is not a spare comment from heaven or a place to hunt for a vibe. The Bible brings people before the presence of their Creator. Psalm 37 changes when delighting in the Lord becomes more important than getting the desires of the heart. God’s Word may comfort, but it may also press, convict, and keep showing up until obedience becomes unavoidable.

Prayer is not merely a speech or gripe session directed at God. Prayer becomes honest when fear is named instead of managed. Peace does not mean ease. Shalom means that everything is as it should be, even when the wheels of life have fallen off and the rest of the road cannot be seen.

Circumstances can reveal a need that keeps intersecting with a person’s gifts, a conversation that was never scheduled, or a delay that later proves to be God’s protection. Community can confirm what God has already been pressing through Scripture and prayer. Wisdom listens to a multitude of counselors rather than collecting opinions until somebody agrees.

Jesus says that his sheep hear his voice, he knows them, and they follow him. Eternal life rests not on church attendance or a list of good things, but on recognizing Jesus, trusting his cross and resurrection, and responding when he calls.

Key Takeaways

1. God speaks clearly through Christ Hebrews places Jesus at the center of God’s final and clearest word. Christ is not an optional addition to spiritual discernment, but the standard by which every other voice is tested. The desire for dramatic direction can become an excuse for ignoring the plain call of Christ already given in Scripture. [05:18]
2. Fear is not a final answer Moses brings real weakness, real questions, and real reluctance before God. God does not shame Moses for being afraid, but neither does God allow fear to become Moses’ identity or assignment. The promise “I’ll be with you” shifts the weight from human adequacy to divine presence. [12:39]
3. Scripture forms the desires of hearts Psalm 37 does not promise that God will rubber-stamp every desire. Delighting in the Lord reshapes what a person wants until the heart begins to hunger for what honors him. God’s Word often speaks by refusing to leave a person comfortable in old desires. [15:41]
4. Peace can exist without ease Shalom is deeper than a calm set of circumstances. God can give settled confidence while the future remains unclear, relationships remain painful, and obedience still feels costly. Peace becomes the strength to take the next faithful step without seeing the whole road. [19:14]
5. Christ’s sheep hear and follow Jesus joins hearing his voice with following him. Recognition of Christ is not merely agreement with facts, but a response of trust and obedience to the One who gives eternal life. The warning remains urgent because eternal life is found in Christ alone.

## [30:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:02] - God Is Not Silent
[02:58] - God Speaks Clearly to Moses
[04:47] - Jesus Is God’s Clearest Word
[05:59] - God Is Patient With Fear
[07:53] - Modern Excuses for Avoiding Obedience
[12:39] - God Answers With His Presence
[13:59] - God Speaks Through His Word
[17:29] - Prayer, Peace, and Honest Fear
[20:42] - God Speaks Through Circumstances
[23:30] - God Confirms Through People
[28:47] - Christ’s Sheep Hear His Voice
[31:03] - Respond to Jesus Today

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 3:1–4:17
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” [02:58]

Hebrews 1:1–2
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” [05:18]

John 10:27–28
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” [30:42]

Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” [15:41]

Observation questions

What does Moses do when he sees the burning bush, and what does God do after Moses turns aside to look?
What questions and objections does Moses raise after God calls him to go to Pharaoh? [06:30]
According to Hebrews 1:1–2, how did God speak in the past, and through whom has he spoken in these last days?
In John 10:27–28, what four things does Jesus say about his sheep: what they do, how he relates to them, what he gives them, and what cannot happen to them?

Interpretation questions

Why does it matter that God called Moses by name and identified himself clearly rather than speaking in a confusing or coded way? [03:20]
Hebrews says that God has spoken by his Son. How does this make Jesus the standard for testing desires, advice, circumstances, and other voices?
God answered Moses’ question, “Who am I?” with the promise, “I’ll be with you.” How does God’s presence change the way a fearful person understands a difficult calling? [12:39]
Psalm 37:4 connects delighting in the Lord with the desires of the heart. How might delighting in God reshape a person’s desires instead of simply giving approval to whatever that person already wants? [15:03]

Application questions

Is there an area where you have been asking God for dramatic direction while avoiding something Scripture already makes clear—such as forgiving, serving, speaking truth, loving someone difficult, or turning from sin? What would one obedient next step look like? [04:33]
Which of Moses’ excuses sounds most familiar in your life right now: “Who am I?”, “What if they do not believe me?”, “I am not good with words,” or “Send someone else”? Bring that specific fear into the group and consider how God’s promise, “I’ll be with you,” speaks to it. [07:43]
When you open the Bible, are you mainly looking for comfort, confirmation of your plans, or a word that may also correct and redirect you? What passage has recently stayed with you, challenged you, or kept returning to your mind? [16:00]
Is there a fear you have been managing privately rather than honestly naming before God in prayer? What might it look like to pray plainly about that fear this week? [18:09]
Where might God be bringing a need across your path that connects with your gifts, experience, resources, or availability? What is one practical way you could respond rather than assuming someone else will meet that need? [20:42]
Have you been facing a delay, closed door, or uncertain season that feels discouraging? How could you keep taking the next faithful step without needing to see the whole road ahead? [19:14]
Jesus says that his sheep hear his voice and follow him. Have you personally responded to Jesus by trusting his death and resurrection for your salvation? If so, where is he calling you to follow him more clearly now? [31:03]

Sermon Clips

45s

#BibleStudy

“You see, the Bible is not a spare comment from heaven. The Bible, when we open up scripture, we're not hunting for a vibe or a feeling. We are coming to the very presence of our creator. We're coming and hearing from God himself. So so what does this look like? Well, have you ever had one of those verses that you've read a 100 times, maybe a thousand times, maybe for forty years, like, you've you've seen this verse, and then all of a sudden, one day, your eyes are open. One day, the the words pop off of the pages. That's what it looks like when God is speaking to us through his word.”

35s

#GodIsWithYou

“So here is what we should learn from Moses. That it's okay to question because the way that God responded to his questions was was a very reassuring way. When he says, who am I? He says, I'll be with you. It doesn't matter who you are. And I'm I'm just telling you, it doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter where you've come from. It doesn't matter how far you've come. Because the same God that told Moses, I'll be with you, tells us today that I'll be with you.”

44s

#DelightInTheLord

“When I read it as a 17 year old, I focused on giving me the desires of my heart, and I thought if I just was good enough that that God was gonna bless me. But as I become a 38 year old, I I read it differently. I read that the emphasis was on delighting in the Lord. Delighting in the Lord. And and maybe he will change, he will give you those desires, the right desires, the right heart.”

42s

#FaithOverFear

“And so here's what we should do. We should bring those fears right up to our savior. But here's what we often do is we use those fears to run away. We use those fears to find something else to do. And I just want you to hear me crystal clear. God has the answers to every one of your questions. Whatever question that you're hanging on to with you feel a prompt from God and you're like, oh, I'm not quite sure. God has the answer to that question.”

49s

#ShalomPeace

“Our spiritual life has GPS too. And and GPS should give us this thing that the bible calls shalom. It's the Hebrew word for peace. But but it it probably doesn't mean the word peace that you think of. The Hebrew word shalom literally means this, when everything is as it should be. You can have shalom even in the worst situation. You can have shalom when the wheels of life have fallen off. You can have shalom when people have walked out of your life. You can have shalom when you are standing there fearful, afraid to have a conversation with the God who's speaking to you.”

42s

#ServeOthers

“Well, not only does he talk to us through his word, not only does he talk to us through prayer, not only does he, talk to us through those two things, but he also uses circumstances. What does that look like? A need that keeps intersecting your gifts. Somebody that God keeps bringing into your life that that needs someone with the talent that you have, that you've never told anyone about. And over and over again, God keeps bringing them across your path. And here's what I would encourage you, church. When you see a need that you can meet, meet it and make a difference.”

46s

#GodsWord

“Or maybe it looks like this that God speaks through his word is that, have you ever kept coming back to the same verse over and over? I mean, like like, you you read it, it kinda convicts you, and you're like, okay, I'm gonna stay away from that. And then you're in a store and it's on a plaque. Somebody shares it on their Facebook feed, and it comes up the by the algorithm into your Facebook feed and it's that verse. And over and over again, God just keeps bringing his word into your life. That's what it looks like when God is speaking to us through his word. But let me tell you what it's not. It's not flipping for a verse that already matches what we want.”

38s

#ListenToGod

“You see, the difference for Moses is when he heard God call his name. And so I think what we need to do is be listening for our name. And when we hear it, respond. Oh, you may do exactly like Moses did, and you've got this, that, and the other reason why it shouldn't work out. But if you'll if you'll listen to God, you'll probably realize that he's got you covered.”

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Mascoutah First Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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