Say What?
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:12 NIV
When my almost 3yr old son wants something, he is often pretty clear about it and not always patient. These sentences often begin with, "I want..." or sometimes sound an awful lot like a command. Like, who made him the boss? Still, I am usually pretty quick to oblige if it is within reason as I like to avoid a meltdown when possible. Also, there is of course, that desire in me as a mom, to bring joy and happiness to my child. It feels good when my kids are content.
Sometimes I wish that hearing from God would be as loud and clear as a 3yr old, but so often God speaks in a gentle whisper and if you're anything like me, you strain to truly hear it. There is a similarity though between God and a 3yr old, and that is persistence. If God wants to get your attention, He will find a way to get it. I know some people that hear from God frequently and so much more clearly than I do and I believe that is often because they have maybe been walking with Him a little longer, or they talk with Him a little more. They just know Him better. I'm always working to know Him better.
There is a way that God speaks to me though, and has been speaking to me for some years now, that I am just now starting to comprehend. He puts people on my heart. This might sound strange, but sometimes I get a really weird urge to do something that is not necessarily something I want to do, or maybe something that just seems awkward to do, but I continue to think about it off and on for awhile. I then start to 'hear' from God that this is His desire (not my own) to reach out to a particular person. When I finally figure this out, it is another step to then be obedient to what God is calling me to do or who He is calling me to reach out to.
If we are obedient God will use us for His glory. He will do amazing things with this. I have so much faith in this, and if I'm being honest, I don't always even see the fruits of my labor, but I still trust that God is doing amazing things when we are obedient and answer His call.
Shocking, but a song just came to mind.
Some lyrics from Matthew West's song Do Something: Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, yeah, I created you”
We are the hands and the feet of Jesus. We are called to love our neighbors. We are called to care for one another. Each of us has different talents and gifts. Let us use those to glorify the One who gave them to us.
May we all hear God more clearly and may we have the courage to be obedient when we do. Don't lose heart when you don't see the end result. Trust that your part was to obey and that God will take care of the rest. Keep listening and keep following. Amazing things will happen!
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
1 Kings 19:12 NIV
When my almost 3yr old son wants something, he is often pretty clear about it and not always patient. These sentences often begin with, "I want..." or sometimes sound an awful lot like a command. Like, who made him the boss? Still, I am usually pretty quick to oblige if it is within reason as I like to avoid a meltdown when possible. Also, there is of course, that desire in me as a mom, to bring joy and happiness to my child. It feels good when my kids are content.
Sometimes I wish that hearing from God would be as loud and clear as a 3yr old, but so often God speaks in a gentle whisper and if you're anything like me, you strain to truly hear it. There is a similarity though between God and a 3yr old, and that is persistence. If God wants to get your attention, He will find a way to get it. I know some people that hear from God frequently and so much more clearly than I do and I believe that is often because they have maybe been walking with Him a little longer, or they talk with Him a little more. They just know Him better. I'm always working to know Him better.
There is a way that God speaks to me though, and has been speaking to me for some years now, that I am just now starting to comprehend. He puts people on my heart. This might sound strange, but sometimes I get a really weird urge to do something that is not necessarily something I want to do, or maybe something that just seems awkward to do, but I continue to think about it off and on for awhile. I then start to 'hear' from God that this is His desire (not my own) to reach out to a particular person. When I finally figure this out, it is another step to then be obedient to what God is calling me to do or who He is calling me to reach out to.
If we are obedient God will use us for His glory. He will do amazing things with this. I have so much faith in this, and if I'm being honest, I don't always even see the fruits of my labor, but I still trust that God is doing amazing things when we are obedient and answer His call.
Shocking, but a song just came to mind.
Some lyrics from Matthew West's song Do Something: Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, yeah, I created you”
We are the hands and the feet of Jesus. We are called to love our neighbors. We are called to care for one another. Each of us has different talents and gifts. Let us use those to glorify the One who gave them to us.
May we all hear God more clearly and may we have the courage to be obedient when we do. Don't lose heart when you don't see the end result. Trust that your part was to obey and that God will take care of the rest. Keep listening and keep following. Amazing things will happen!
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