Tuesday September 29 2015  HEARING GOD’S VOICE

It is always interesting to receive feedback from a blog I have written.  I have been informed that more than one reader believes I am a bit off my rocker in reference to yesterday’s topic.  I do hesitate to share my personal journal because if a person reads it who does not understand where I am coming from, they may very well think that what I write is unusual.  Hearing the voice of God has different meanings to different people.  I personally refer to the impressions I receive from the Lord as my HEART SOUNDS.  “Heart” is often referred to as the inner self where deep feelings originate.  I think it is a place that some may refer to as their spirit.  For me it is my inner quiet self that feels the deepest and connects with the spiritual aspects of the Holy Scriptures and with God.  It is the inner place of my integrity that connects with God. 

I believe that as the Bible teaches, when I accepted Jesus to be Lord and Savior of my life, the Lord placed His Holy Spirit within me.  My spirit, my heart, communes with the Holy Spirit of God.  Some may refer to this as “the Lord has enlightened me” or “I awake with wisdom from The Lord” or “have received better understanding”.  I choose to refer to that which others may describe as having been enlightened, or receiving words of wisdom, or a better understanding, as my HEART SOUNDS.  I also refer to this experience as hearing the voice of God through my thoughts.  I just happen to go one step further than most and write down the words of enlightenment.  Some may ask, does God really speak to those who follow the teaching of His Son Jesus?   Can we, mere mortals, really commune with God in the quiet of our hearts?  After searching the scriptures, I believe the answer to be yes.  Below I will copy part of I Corinthians chapter 2.  Read it very carefully to fully understand the concept of how the scripture is written.

I Corinthians 2: 9-16

^“But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”^[c]

^“10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy^[d Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?”^[e] But we have the mind of Christ.”

Even reading the above scripture may sound foreign to those who are not familiar with the Bible.  I have been a student of the Bible for several years and there is always something else for me to learn.  It is the most amazing book I have ever read.  When I sit down to read and study I always pray that God will open the eyes of my heart and bring the scripture alive to me, giving me discernment to understand His Word as I read. 

I also stated in yesterday’s blog that I love to spend time in the morning, sometimes for several hours, with God.  This time consists of quiet reflection, listening to praise and worship music, reading God’s word, praying, thanking God for what He has and is doing for me, writing in my journal, listening for His HEART SOUNDS to me, writing poetry, and worshiping Him.  I use study guides or books to gain a better understanding of His scriptures, listen to learning CD’s or sermons , and sometimes I just finish my mornings reading for my own pleasure and enjoying my solitude. Every once in a while I set aside an entire day to do all that I described above.  It is like a mini vacation to me and I come away from my day refreshed in the Lord’s love, filled with peace and joy.  This is how I live.  I would hope that this insight into my spiritual life will not discourage people from reading my blog, but rather, make you curious to find out the validity of what I am sharing with you.  I promise you that I do not participate in a cult, but rather, I am a follower of Jesus Christ who is described in the world’s best selling book of all times, THE HOLY BIBLE.

If anyone has any questions or comments please go to my contact page and send me an email.  I would love to hear from you.  Oh, by the way, have you ever prayed?  If so, then you too speak with God.  Just listen carefully and you may be impressed with thoughts that you have no idea where they came from.  They just might come from God.  I just happen to write down what I am given in the still quiet of my heart.

I don’t know if any of you have ever heard of Sarah Young, author of many bestselling books.  One of her most popular books is “JESUS CALLING”.  It is her experience of learning to hear the voice of the Lord and then writing it down.  It is truly an amazing devotional.  What is especially eye opening is reading the introduction.  It explains a lot about why she sits before the Lord to hear “His voice”.

Thanks to those who contacted me following yesterday’s blog.  I hope my response in this Blog gives you pause to think and ponder and look up the scriptures in the Bible about all the times God spoke to those in the Bible.  One of my favorite search engines is www.biblegateway.com  Enter in the word(s) you are interested in reading.  I put in the word “HEART” tonight and I was delighted that I had hundreds to read.  Give it a try.

Just so you know, God enlightened me again this morning.  His words are always awesome for me to wake up to.  I will not share the words I received but I will share the poem I received this morning.

SHOW ME LORD

By Kathleen Martens

September 29 2015

Show me Lord

How to be more like You.

To say what You say,

To do what You do.

Teach me Lord

Your compassion and grace,

And make Your light

To shine from my face.

Instruct me Lord

That in obedience I follow

My days assigned in Your Book

That my steps not ring hollow.

Use me Lord

That Your plan is fulfilled

That my days you have fashioned

Will be walked as you willed.

Finished my painting tonight.  I may be able to bring the table in tomorrow.

Good night and God bless all of you. 

P.S.  Just thought you might be interested that I have taught classes on “Hearing God’s Voice”.  If anyone is interested I could post the teaching references and book used for the class.  It is an interesting study.