Reading the Bible to Hear God Speak

The last paragraph in a book that I just read, really spoke to me as a man who desires to hear God's voice in the 'all' of life. Enjoy :-)

"It takes time to read the Bible to hear God speak. The bible is not a fast-food outlet. One has to pay attention to the written text, pore over it, learn the languages or consult several translations, deepened oneself into the original historical circumstances, piece out the literary features to catch the nuances, check a wide diversity of commentary readings on the particular text under scrutiny. Reading the Bible to hear God speak is not a one-person show -- it happens best in a believing communion of attuned reading saints often found in books. Once prepared -- led into a reading by those who know in faith better than yourself how to listen to the Bible -- a person waits on the Lord, wrestles with the God-speaking text, and finally hears the Holy Spirit's voice of the text which humbles you to your knees with an oracle of tough love and rough comfort, and a mission of redemptive service. One never need say, "My prayers are not answered; God never talks to me," if you learn to read the Bible to hear God speak. God speaks through the holy scriptures with mysterious clarity and empowering wisdom in a way that engenders faith-fullness, patience, joy, trust, love, and hope."

Taken from the book "How to Read the Bible to Hear God Speak, a study in Numbers 22-24", by Calvin Seerveld

Hearing better all the time :-)