"My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me" John 10:27 NKJV
I wasn’t sure how best to introduce the topic of my blog this week so I decided to jump right in!
We study the Bible so that we might hear God speaking through scripture but also because God’s word is a necessary weapon to possess in any and every situation, challenging or not, in which we might be engaged.
Though, over time I had acquainted myself with the Bible I still had not understood that the promises within scripture were for me to claim and to have confidence in. For some reason I believed that to claim those promises I needed to have had a special message from God prompting me to speak those assurances over my life almost as though all the things God had said were not all for me and I needed permission from God regarding the ones available for my life before I could be bold enough to claim them. (Please don't leave me all by myself) I know there must at least be one other person who has felt or is feeling this way.
With that said I am happy to note that my perspective was wrong!
So of late I have not been afraid to speak scripture into my life in ways I never really did before like “My God shall supply all your (my) needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19 or "I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread” Psalm 37:25 when I was getting ready to tread uncertain territory as I was making difficult financial decisions.
This action didn't just remind God of His promises (Isaiah 43:26) to me but also strengthened my faith that no matter the circumstances and whether I can see it or not, God is at work in my life causing all things to result in my favor if I only just trust in Him!
It is important for us as Christians to recognize that the Bible is the word of God to us; the promises of God concerning us; the instructions to living the God-led God-centered life.
When seeking an encounter or message from God know that when God directs you to His word where He challenges or reveals truth to you, it is God speaking; it is an encounter with God. We often look for God to speak with a trumpeting voice from the sky or to speak through a prophet at some Christian convention but often overlook God speaking through His word in scripture. As I sat thinking about hearing God’s voice in my current situation I suddenly realized that I could stand firm on the promises of God in the Bible because He did not just make them (and I mean all of them) to the people of biblical times but to you and I who would come to depend on Him through faith in His Son centuries later!
The words of the Bible, with its promises, plans, rules and regulations represent God in constant dialogue with us so once truth is revealed we must acknowledge that God has spoken and be ready to respond as He would have us. Like the sheep who hear their Shepherd's voice and because they recognize the voice as that of their leader they FOLLOW Him by doing what He says. Please take the time to acknowledge that to understand scripture is to have an encounter with God for these are secret things of God which we can only relate to or understand through God the Holy Spirit. We constantly ask God to speak to us and to reveal Himself to us and if we are serious then one way to get into God's presence or to hear from God is to spend time reading the word of God.
Of course we will not always be comfortable with what God might be saying to us or challenging us to do but our duty to our Creator, Savior, Master, Teacher, Sustainer, Friend and so much more is to align our will and behavior with His!
What has God been talking to you about lately? What have you been running away from that God has been calling you to? What does His word say about your current situation? How will you respond?
Until next time,
EJ
Like. Comment. Share. Subscribe.
You are not alone Liz. I feel the same way on several occasions, even though I know better. Sometimes I think that I am not worthy of God's promises in His Word and so I shouldn't even think about it muchless to speak it into my life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have realized that it is because of our imperfections why we need to allow God to speak to us through His Word and to also stand on His promises. If you think about it - we wouldn't need God if we were perfect right?
I still grapple with the Truth of His promises from time to time still and I have many fears of stepping out to do that which I am being called to.
You are right, there would be no need to look to God if we were all we needed. Just like we wouldn't need our parents when we were born if we didn't depend on them for food, nurture all the way in to adulthood. We have limitations as human beings but what could be more special than having access to the person who created us, who knows the number of hairs on my head because He loves and cares for me that much. We so often underestimate that relationship!
DeleteMy prayer is Lord make me less self-centered! Make me less so that you can increase...Help me to recognize Your voice in every situation and to be willing to apply your guidance in my life.
Have a great day Monique!!