God Speaks, Part 1
The Beginning
How often haven't we all wished for a crystal ball?
Something we could look into to see the future and use as a basis for our
decisions? As humans we are often faced with major decisions, and any
serious Christian desires to follow God's will. But how can you know just
what that will is?
In the past God used prophets as His means of communication: "In the past
God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in
various ways . . ." (Heb 1:1 NIV). I don't know about you, but I've
often thought, "It used to be so easy! You just go and ask a prophet!" But
although there are modern day prophets, God no longer uses this as His
primary means of communication: ". . . But in these last days [God] has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through
whom he made the universe." (Heb 1:2 NIV)
"Great," you say. "But Jesus isn't still on Earth! How can I speak to Him?"
When Jesus went back to Heaven, He left us a wonderful gift: His Spirit:
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you." (John 14:26-27 NIV)
Friends, Jesus speaks to us directly through His Spirit!
If you think about it, this is a pretty efficient method of communication.
No more need to travel miles in search of a prophet! The Holy Spirit is
available to all who believe! The only problem is, the voice of the Holy
Spirit isn't the only voice that speaks to us. How do you know which voice
in your head is the one you should follow?
My first piece of advice is to have a good relationship with God. We
recognize the voices of those we spend the most time with. Without this
solid basis, knowing who is speaking to you becomes much more difficult.
(For ideas on how to work on your relationship with God, go to
http://www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder3/lessons_on_relationship_from_solomon.htm
, or email me directly at
helpmelearnaboutjesus@gmail.com )
In addition to knowing His voice, there are a couple of safeguards built
into the system. First of all, if it is truly God speaking, what you will
hear will NEVER contradict His Word; and secondly, God often speaks in
multiple ways, and if it's truly Him speaking, all of those paths will line
up! So if you recognize the voice you are hearing, the instructions you are
being given are not contrary to God's Word, and all of the messages point in
the same direction, then you can be certain it is God speaking!
And just what are these ways God uses? God communicates to us by:
1. Speaking directly through His Word;
2. Speaking to our intellect;
3. Speaking directly to our minds;
4. Giving us ideas or impressions;
5. Giving us general uneasiness or peace of mind;
6. Giving visions and dreams;
7. Giving signs and wonders; and
8. Opening and closing doors.
The really great thing is that God always chooses methods of communicating
with you that are unique to you. He chooses the one(s) that He knows you
will recognize as His voice!
To illustrate some of the ways God speaks, I would like to share with you a
story; one that has been ongoing for the past 15 years.
When my oldest son was born, I decided he would go to Christian school. I
didn't consult God about it, but before he was a year old, I had visited all
of the Christian schools in the area, and I knew which one would be best for
him. And when it came time for him to begin Kindergarten, I sent him to the
school of my choice.
Notice I said "my choice".
During his kindergarten year, my dad died and my mother decided to come and
live with us. We put our house on the market and purchased a piece of land
with the intention of building a house with an in-law suite. The land was
situated, naturally, en route to my son's school.
The day after our house sold, the sale on the land fell through. As we began
our desperate house search, I prayed that God would provide a home that was
on the bus route for my son's school.
I specifically remember praying about this as I was weeding the flowerbed
one day, and as I pulled up a particularly stubborn dandelion root, I was
overcome with the impression that I should homeschool my boys!
I dismissed it. I didn't believe in homeschooling.
God did provide the perfect piece of property for us at exactly the right
price, one that we thought was en route for my son's school. Only after
moving in did we discover this wasn't true. We frantically began searching
for a different Christian school, only to learn that we weren't on the bus
route for any of them! We were left stranded. Literally.
Since I adamantly refused to consider public school, homeschooling was the
only option left, but the really crazy part was that all of my former
objections for homeschooling suddenly no longer seemed relevant! But I
worked part-time. I would need a tutor for my boys on the days I was
working.
I start to pray, and I told God that if He wanted me to homeschool, He would
have to provide a tutor. He did. In a miraculous way. And He proceeded to
miraculously provide the appropriate tutors for the next 8 years.
In this case, Jesus initially spoke to me through His Spirit by speaking
into my mind and giving me general impressions. When it became apparent that
I wasn't listening, He closed doors. He then proceeded to confirm that
homeschooling was right by giving me peace of mind and by working signs and
wonders (the tutors!). But He wasn't finished. As I would soon learn, this
was only the beginning . . .
Please join us next Saturday for the MIDDLE part: God Speaks, Part 2!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for
The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a
website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems,
www.scripturalnuggets.org ,
with Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org .