Week Eight ~ Recognizing His Voice ~ God desires to be heard and He will reveal Himself in different situations and through different acts. He uses people--both non-believers and believers--to get our attention. He's waiting for you to allow Him to show you what He can do.
~ God communicates through physical, mental, and spiritual acts. Throughout our lives we can see God's work take place through acts involving coincidences that are too perfectly timed that we must attribute them to some greater power. These can be words from people, specific deeds, or even lyrics, poems, or scriptures that carry a message that resolves what is going on in our lives. We say God opened the door or an opportunity crossed our path. When was the last time God opened a door for you? When did a song, a poem, or a specific situation give you the answer you were looking for?
The Bible is alive with meaning when we're looking for a specific answer. The scriptures carry God's voice to us, to inspire, to guide, and to reveal His recommendations for life's situations. Have you ever said, I need a verse to give me direction, and then opened the Bible to a scripture that jumped out at you? I experienced this when a feeling of discouragement came over me after I had been working on my manuscript for several years. I told the Lord, "Did you really ask me to write this book, or was it just my imagination?" Then I opened my Bible to Psalm 26:7: "That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of thy wondrous works." My answer was loud and clear. Yes, God asked me to write, and if I obey, I will be published. That was the answer that I needed for that moment.
~ How do we know if an act is really of God or just a coincidence? Physical acts that relate specifically to the matter-at-hand will bring God's voice to us. Does the coincidence meet a need, bring a feeling of peace, lift our heart, and keep us on the path that God is directing? Last week my friend, Debbie, called me from California, telling me that she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. How could this be happening to my best friend? After the ringing stopped in my ears, I heard her say, "I'm so glad we planned last year to have our GRITS* Getaway this week. It's just what I need, to be surrounded by friends." At that moment, we realized that the planned trip was no coincidence...God had orchestrated this time just for Debbie. A few days later, she flew out from California with my daughter, Jacquie, and two friends of 22+ years, Dana and Bernadette, to spend 5 days of laughter, whitewater rafting, relaxation, great food--Bernadette, your an awesome chef!--lots of fellowship, and little sleep. (Ahh, friendship...but that's another topic in itself.) This act of coincidence increased my faith that God really does direct our paths, and He does plan for our future! Think about it. Meditate on it. If God watches over those cute little birdies flying around in the sky, how much more does He watch over His cute little ladies fluttering around down here on mother earth?!?
~ God can and still does speak to us through dreams, visions, thoughts, an audible voice, angels, and the gift of tongues. One personal example was when Rob and I were in downtown Moscow in the winter of 1991, and the cab driver had no idea where he was taking us. Our interpreter was in another taxi with our friends, so there we were, two Americans with no way to communicate with our crazy Russian cabbie. When he finally stopped to ask another taxi driver for help, they both shook their heads at us. Oh great. That's when we started praying in tongues (I'm sure they thought we were trying to speak Russian!) After driving around the crowded city streets for what seemed like hours, he pulled over to the corner curbside where a tall, young man wearing a black coat was waving. Our driver gave the man a piece of paper with the address. He smiled at us, then spoke to the driver and pointed west, so off we sped into the night until we reached the outskirts of town. Rob and I arrived at our destination late, but safe! Now, who do you think that nice young man was who just happened to be standing on that specific corner at that time of night? Coincidence? Don't think so. That, my dear sisters, was an angel unaware that the Bible talks about (Hebrews 13:2). Have you ever encountered your own angel along the way to your destiny?
And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
~ We are all unique, so God will reveal Himself to you in special ways. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to all truth, according to the Bible. All you must do is ask, believe, and then let God do the rest. He wants your walk with Him to be easy. We're the ones who make it difficult by trying to figure out every little twist and turn of our life's journey. It's much more exciting when we take a deep breath, stand back, and allow God to direct our path. Let's try it this week!
Happy Mother's Day! Oceans of blessings, Sharron *GRITS: "Girls-Raised-In-The-South"
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