When God Speaks: How to Recognize God’s Voice and Respond in Obedience
We had a great weekly recap this morning. As we get more comfortable with each other, we are all opening up.
It’s exciting to see God’s handiwork in real time. Watching CH this morning, it is remarkable to note the change in him that has occurred over the past five weeks. When we first started this, I wasn’t certain of his commitment to change. I’m certain now.
When I first contacted him about doing a daily Bible study, I told him that it would require his full commitment. I didn’t let him answer right away, made him wait a few days. And when we met together the first night at Denny’s, I reiterated the commitment part as well as telling him not to do this to save his marriage but to do this to save himself. The marriage will work out if both parties are doing God’s will.
Like I said, I’m certain now. Not just in the words he says but in the way he says them. You can tell a lot about a person by observing their demeanor as they are speaking or as they are listening to someone open their heart.
CH has made a turnaround. Will it last? That is up to him. Will he screw up and make mistakes again? Sure. But its how he handles it when he does that will be the real test. Everyone fails. Everyone falls. Not everyone relies upon the Lord to pick them up, brush them off and tell them to forget about it, deal with the consequences in a way that honors Him but forget about the guilt.
Just looking at the glimpses of joy in his eyes is exciting. Listening to the hope in his voice is exciting. Hearing him talk about dealing with his children in a different way is exciting. Hearing him talk about his wife in a loving way instead of a needy way is exciting. God’s work is exciting!
The same can be said of LB. Listening to him talk about the changes he’s made with his children and grandchildren is exciting. Hearing him talk of a future of hope, that one day he will find a Godly woman to be his helpmeet is exciting. Watching as he shares his experiences with CH, tells him how he’s overcome some of the same hurdles that face him is exciting. God’s work in action is exciting!
And yeah, feeling the change within is exciting. Even as it creates confusion and hesitation about some of the things I’m doing. Perhaps it is time to move on from some of the things that take my time. Is that time being used productively or has it run its course? Is it time to find another open door? God’s work in action is exciting.
Wow. Only a week left in this study. Hard to believe that five weeks have passed so quickly.
Day 21: Circumstances: God At Work
Day 22: Circumstances: Clarified by Spiritual Markers
Day 23: Circumstances: Confusing Apart From God
Day 24: Circumstances: Explained by God
Day 25: Circumstances: Open or Closed Doors
Many Christians love God’s will in the abstract but carry great burdens in connection with it. From this there is deliverance in the wonderful life of faith, for in this life no burdens are carried, no anxieties felt. The Lord is our Burden-bearer, and on Him we must lay every care.
God says, in effect, “Be careful for nothing, but make your requests known to me, and I will attend to them all” (Phil. 4:6, para.). Don’t worry about anything, He says, not even your service. Above all, we are tempted to worry about our service, because we know we are so helpless in regard to it. But why should we worry whether we are fit for service? The Master Workman surely has a right to use any tool He pleases for His own work, and it is plainly not the business of the tool to decide whether it is the right one to be used or not. He knows; and if He chooses to use us, of course we must be fit. If we only knew it, our chief fitness is in our utter helplessness. His strength is made perfect not in our strength but in our weakness. Our strength is only a hindrance.
Smith, H. W., Dieter, M. E., & Dieter, H. A. (1986). God is enough (August 25). New York: Random House.
This study is a blessing….. thanks