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Hearing God by [tag]Dallas Willard[/tag] was published before his recent trilogy of books on spiritual formation. Perhaps [tag]Hearing God[/tag] was meant as a sort of introduction to his later works. What I appreciate about Dr. Willard’s writing is that he works hard to bridge theology with praxis. He lays out the teaching of scripture, but looks for ways to answer the “so what?” question.
In this book, Willard leads the reader to develop a conversational relationship with God. What does it mean to hear God? How does God speak to us? Willard acknowledges that too many people (especially church leaders) exploit and manipulate situations by claiming that “God told me that…” In this book, he takes the mystery out of listening to God, where it is not an act reserved for the few, but one that should be available to all.
My favorite image in the book is found in the opening pages where he compares [tag]God’s will[/tag] to his family. He de-constructs the notion that being in God’s will is somehow knowing exactly what God wants us to do every moment of our lives. As a father, his children are in his will when they are playing in the backyard. He doesn’t care what kind of toys or games they are playing. There are certain parameters that are important to him, but ultimately, his children are in his will when they are playing within those parameters. Willard points out that this scenario is similar to our connection with God. While there are certain parameters in seeking God’s will, there is more room for flexibility in knowing the will of God in our lives.
Willard also recognizes the role that scripture plays in hearing God. The more we know scripture, the more we can make sense of what God may be saying to us. And through the Word, God does speak to us.
Dr. Willard has walked with me on many [tag]Sabbath[/tag] days of rest. I have appreciated the ways he has mentored me through his books. Hearing God is an excellent devotional resource that aims to deepen our faith in God.
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