Pastor Nancy
Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
It means prioritizing the eternal, spiritual reality over the material, temporary world (sight).
It means being led by the Spirit rather than situations, facts, and circumstances.
It enables believers to walk in obedience and confidence, regardless of challenging circumstances.
How to Hear God's Voice and Direction
1. Put Your Ears onto God, Not to the Ground.
Nowadays watu wanaamini kusikiza ground inasema nini [people believe in listening to what the ground is saying]. We make decisions based on facts, opinions, trends, situations, or circumstances—voice ya the grounds [the voice of the ground]—instead of listening to the voice of God, which is the truth. The world dictates that we follow common sense, but we need to hear God's voice and spiritual wisdom for guidance and direction. You can never go wrong with God; His voice is a sure win.
The Story of Elijah and the Woman
1 Kings 17:8-9
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."
God led Elijah from the dry brook to a Gentile city. This was an unusual and challenging move for Elijah to make. Going to a Gentile city for a prophet was not normal but rather unusual. It was not a place one would identify with a man of God.
God told Elijah to go to a Gentile widow and receive provision. It would have made more sense for Elijah to wait beside a dry brook or move to another area with food and water, like Elimelech did.
Ruth 1:1-3
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
When there was famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech moved with his family to Moab where there was plenty, kulingana na vile ground ilikuwa inasema [according to what the ground was saying]. Alifuata ground [He followed the ground] instead of seeking God's direction, and that common-sense move proved disastrous and regrettable. Elimelech and two of his sons died there in Moab.
Again, Elijah perhaps thought that God would send him to a rich man, but God led him to a very poor widow. Widows were known for languishing in poverty, and so was this poor Gentile widow who was at her end.
If Elijah was to listen to the ground, he could not have gone to the poor widow. As humans, we normally go to someone who can offer help. But Elijah listened to God, not to the ground.
2. Discern God's Voice.
We live in a world with voices all around us. Every day, everywhere you go, there are voices around us. Out of all these voices screaming at our ears, you need to discern God's voice.
God's voice is not always obvious or the loudest like the voice of the majority, which many people tend to follow. Unafuata tu kile watu wengi wanafanya [You just follow what many people are doing].
Sometimes His voice is unusual and requires unusual attention to discern it.
1 Kings 19:11-12
Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
God's voice was not in the loud, destructive, or dramatic, but in the intimate, quiet whisper that draws the soul closer to Him. The voice of God is not always loud. This time it was not in the powerful wind or the earthquake, but it was a gentle whisper.
For you to hear this whisper, it requires you to seclude yourself away from all noise. You need to go to a quiet place, like a prayer mountain, away from the usual noises of family, friends, business, and work so that you can hear His voice clearly.
You need quiet time so that God can speak to you. When you are in that quiet place, do you give God time to speak? You need to have a quiet time in the presence of God so that you can hear the voice of God.
Sometimes we find ourselves bombarding God with requests, doing all the talking and never giving Him a chance to speak to us. It is important, once you are through, to give God time to whisper to you because God speaks.
God primarily speaks to His people through His word. Peter spoke the word of God during Pentecost, and they knew it was God speaking to them.
Acts 2:36-37
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
God can also give you a scripture to guide you.
Sometimes He speaks through His Spirit.
Acts 13:2
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
God also can speak with an audible voice.
1 Samuel 3:4
That the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!"
God can also speak to you through dreams and visions, but they are not always direct and clear, so you may need the wisdom of the mature. God also does speak through visions, dreams, and circumstances, but in such cases, the word of God is always the reference. They must align with the word of God.
Result of Hearing: Listening brings spiritual life and sustained connection with God.
Consequence of Ignoring: Ignoring God's direction leads to spiritual hunger and emptiness.
Comments
Post a Comment