God promises to lead us and guide us. He says in Isaiah 30:21, “And
your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in
it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left” (The
Amplified Bible).
We need to quiet all the noise in our lives and become sensitive to
God’s still, small voice. We will always have to fight the voices
trying to compete with Him for our obedience. Our feelings and
mind-sets try to influence us. Our friends and families may want to
tell us what to do. The enemy whispers to our minds. The past reminds
us not to make the same mistakes we made before. And the rules and
regulations of the world try to convince us we must follow them.
None of these voices or influences will lead us into truth and life.
Only God can be trusted to say, “This is the way; walk in it.” We have
to tune our ears to His voice by staying in close communion with Him
through prayer, Bible study and worship so we will recognize His voice
when He speaks.
Most of the time, God does not speak to us in an audible voice. We
hear Him in our hearts. Sometimes He speaks by reminding us of a truth
or principle from His Word. Sometimes He gives us thoughts or ideas we
would not have had on our own. Other times we simply have a strong
sense of knowing what to do.
God speaks not only about the urgent or important matters of life
but also regarding the most seemingly insignificant situations. He does
this because He loves us and wants to lead us in every aspect of our
lives.
Here’s an example. I was on my way home one day and intended to stop
and get a cup of coffee, when I had a strong impression that I should
call my secretary and ask if she wanted a cup too. When I called, she
said, “I was just standing here thinking, I would love a good cup
of coffee right now.”
You see, God wanted to give her the desire of her heart, and He
wanted to work through me. I did not hear a loud voice, nor see an
angel, nor did I have a vision. I simply had an inner sensing that I
should offer her a cup of coffee. As a result, we both experienced
great joy in knowing God cares about the smallest details of our lives.
Quite often we ignore little promptings such as the one I had. The
more we do, the harder it is to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Had I been wrong in assuming God was speaking to me, the worst thing
that would have happened would have been for my secretary to say she
did not want any coffee. In that case, she still would have had the
blessing of knowing I was thinking of her.
If someone is on your heart, I encourage you to pray for that person
or call him or her and say, “I was just thinking of you.” You never
know how a seemingly small gesture such as a phone call can alter a
person’s day or perhaps change someone’s life.
Let me encourage you today to keep your heart sensitive to God’s
voice. He will speak to your heart and lead you in the way you should
go.
Do not let disobedience, distractions, or the noise and busy pace of
the world cause you to miss His voice when He speaks. Stay quiet and
peaceful on the inside so you can hear Him when He speaks to you.
Remember this: Each time we disobey God, it becomes more difficult
to hear Him the next time He speaks. But each time we obey Him, it gets
easier to hear Him and to be led by His Spirit.
Life is not something we can redo, so we should do our best to make
sure the first “go around” is great. I encourage you to enjoy today,
embrace tomorrow and start living the way Jesus intends for you to
live. God is speaking to you. Are you listening?
Joyce Meyer is a New York
Times best-selling author and one of the world’s leading practical
Bible teachers. She has written more than 70 books, including the
popular Beauty for Ashes and Battlefield of the Mind, and her
most recent, The Secret to True
Happiness (all FaithWords). She is also the founder of Joyce
Meyer Ministries Inc. and the host of Enjoying
Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of
stations worldwide. To read past columns in Charisma by Joyce Meyer, click here.
