When God Speaks: How to Recognize God’s Voice and Respond in Obedience
Today, Blackaby talked about confusion, being confused and not hearing God. He put forth a six point plan to remove the confusion that can occur when you aren’t quite clear what God wants you to do in situation. These are my interpretations of his points.
- Decide what you believe – I think one of the key things that we have to do is figure out what we really believe. I don’t mean understand what someone else believes or what we think we are supposed to believe. I mean, what do I believe, deep down, when no one is around, when it’s just me. What do I really believe? Do I really believe in God? Do I really believe that Jesus is God? Do I really believe that the Holy Spirit is within me? Do I really believe in prayer?In other words, at some point in my life, I had to sit down and say, here’s the deal. Either believe it or reject it. Quite sitting on the fence.
- Look at the situation from God’s viewpoint – much like Kristen wrote in her song, our emotions are ours. Our perspective is ours. I don’t know what He sees from there until I try to look. Try to understand. God is not a God of confusion, the Bible explicitly says that.
- Patience – it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Blackaby says to learn it, I say it’s more accurate to let it mature in your life. Studying, reading, being like Christ is the only way to mature in the faith.
- Adjust to God, don’t try to adjust God to your wants, needs or desires.
- More patience – God works in His own way, in His own time.
- Be aware, look around, be open – Blackaby says to experience God. Things are happening all around you, make certain that you are aware of them. Be alert.
Blackaby also reminded us that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would bring to mind the spiritual markers necessary for you to use in a situation and that He would tell you of things to come.
John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
I found an interesting chapter in a book in my system when I did at search for “God within five words confusion”. It is on doubt and faith, speaking specifically to pastors. I rarely think about pastors having a crisis of faith but certainly they do. Maybe they are at even greater risk because they are exposed to so much of the negative side of this world.
Anyways, I liked it so much that I printed it as a pdf and uploaded it. There is a guy that I specifically think could use this to unload some of his burden. Doubt and Faith, here is the paragraph that initially caught my eye.
One of the signs of faithful people is that they’re troubled by evil and injustice — even when they seemingly come about as “an act of God.” So such “doubt” is actually a seeking for God in the midst of confusion, and that’s a profound kind of faith. In fact, I might wonder about you a little if you claim never to ask such questions.
Kesler, Jay: Being Holy, Being Human : Dealing With the Expectations of Ministry. Carol Stream, Ill.; Waco, Tex. : CTI; Word Books, 1988 (The Leadership Library 13), S. 134
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