God will speak to the
hearts of those who prepare themselves to hear, and conversely, those who do
not so prepare themselves will hear nothing even though the word of God is
falling upon their outer ears every Sunday.
A.W Tozer
I love the in depth conversations that Bible studies bring
about. Last night the question, “How do
we know when God is speaking to us?” was discussed. Hearing the thoughts of Godly women bring
clarity. The wisdom of others is
insightful.
So today I begin to dig deeper into the question.
First we know that God’s voice can be heard through His
word. The word is God breathed. The Old Testament being God’s word and the New
Testament being the words of witness by the apostles. If we ever have a question about anything we
should go to the word and make sure that it is in sync with what God said. God never says anything that contradicts
scripture. The Bible will let us know
all we need to know.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior the Holy Spirit
takes up residence in us. It is through
the Holy Spirit that we are able to understand Gods word and apply His wisdom
to our lives. Being led by the Holy
Spirit daily, we can hear what the Lord is telling us. The Holy Spirit is that still small voice
that tells us when a friend needs us or gives us instructions that may seem
odd. It is when this voice speaks that
we have a feeling that washes over us.
We can see things with our spiritual eyes instead of our physical
eyes.
Far be it from me to
deny that spectacular experiences that occur or that they are, sometimes t
least, given by God. But … the still
small voice- or the interior or inner voice, as it is also called-is the
preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for gods
purposes.
Dallas Willard
Gods voice isn’t the voice of anxiety or unsettledness. If the voice isn’t leading you to peace than
it isn’t the Lords voice. Gods desire
for us is to be at rest. When we are at
this peace it is easier to hear from Him.
At times it is better to sleep on it, let God give us rest, then we can
hear from Him more clearly. We can’t
rush God or expect God to speak when we need to hear. He will speak to His sheep when He feels it
necessary.
The article, “7 Ways
to Distinguish God’s Voice from the Circumstances of Life,” gives 7 steps to
hear from God. They are:
o
Mirror your circumstances with the truth of
Gods’ word
o
God uses people to confirm His voice
o
Recognize that God operates from a plan
o
Examine your circumstances in light of Gods
overall plan
o
Don’t allow circumstances to keep you from
hearing or obeying God
o
Ask God to show you His perspective on
circumstances
o
God’s primary desire in speaking is for eternal
purposes.
Priscilla Shirer gives us these points in the book
“Discerning the Voice of God.”
o
Expect to hear Gods voice (Jeremiah 33:3)
o
Wait patiently for Him to speak (Habakkuk 2:3)
o
Plan to obey (exodus 19:5)
o
Listen for His voice (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2)
o
Have faith in His voice (faith is the final
component necessary to hear from God and clearly discern his voice)
o
Have the guidance of the Holy Spirit
(Deuteronomy 5:24)
We want to hear from God.
We want to follow the plan that He has for us and this requires us to
listen intently. To listen we must block
out all the noisy distractions the world brings us.
He may speak to you through a burning bush or He may whisper
through the words of a friend, whatever the case when we seek Him first He will
speak and we will identify that it is Lord.
Open your ears and you will hear!
Things don’t change
when I talk to God; things change when God talks to me. Bob Sorge
James 1:5New International
Version (NIV)
5 If
any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you
John 10:27New International
Version (NIV)
27 My
sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
http://www.ronedmondson.com/2015/04/7-ways-to-distinguish-gods-voice-from-the-circumstances-of-life.html
7 Ways to Distinguish God’s Voice from the Circumstances of Life (Ron
Edmondson)
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