I have read the Bible “cover to cover” many times. A number of years ago I used a color-coded system to track various themes; I had a color for God’s speaking to man, for prayer, for heaven, hell and so forth. What really struck me was how much emphasis we give to things that the Bible doesn’t emphasize as much. I remember coming to the end of that experience thinking that the Bible is really about the relationship between God and people more than anything else. As I read, I noticed over and over that God was speaking to people and they were speaking back and then they were doing or not doing what God had asked them to do. For all the emphasis that is often given to Heaven, hell, money, church, parenting, education and so forth, there is a lot more emphasis in the Bible on the relationship between God and His people. His life and their lives are merged, interactive, dependent, intimate and sometimes struggling. The Bible starts that way with Adam and Eve, and it ends that way. Revelation concludes with people “in” and people “out.” Through the Old Testament and New Testament, it is a given that people hear God and talk to Him. From the patriarchs to the apostles and all kinds of people in between there is interaction with God. Why would we think it strange that a personal relationship with God today would include hearing Him? I know at least one reason is the misuse of that privilege. People try to use God for their own purposes. They say they heard from God to give their words more authority. Some people use their relationship with God as a means to spiritual superiority. True enough. But, because there is the misuse of something good is no reason to dismiss it altogether. God has spoken and God is speaking. Are we listening?