Speaking Without Words

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

– Psalm 19:1-4 (New Living Translation)

As I recently read the first part of Psalm 19, the idea of communicating without spoken or written words – or even sounds – caught my attention. But the more I contemplated the psalmist’s observation, the less radical it seemed.

In his insightful book When God Whispers Your Name, Max Lucado wrote, “Pray all the time. If necessary, use words.” I’ve found this concept to be true for me. I often communicate with the Father in a non-verbal way. And the opposite is also true. I’ve sensed God’s leading without even hearing a Voice:

“You need to be involved in this activity / mission trip / ministry.“

“What you’re thinking about doing is NOT a good idea.”

“You should speak to that person.“

Often God does use written words to speak to me – through the Bible or a Christian author, for example. I also find direction from God in words spoken in a sermon or in conversation with another Christian. However, it does seem to me there is something special about communication from the Creator that requires neither eyes nor ears, but rather my heart and mind.