That still small voice

By: carole l. haines     (photo by: Bruce Nevin Haines)

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I just don’t do it! My experience has taught me that it is a sure recipe for failure.  But what I do, is try to listen to what God is speaking to my spirit, and obey what I hear.  Now that is a sure recipe for success.  But let us examine ourselves about how we define success.  Someone recently asked me how I defined it, and I knew immediately how to respond.  I didn’t tell them at that moment, I waited for a few days and sent it in an email.  But I knew, deep down already. I heard the answer right away.  It is something that God showed me many years ago, and I strive to live by it.  I had told this person that I felt like a failure at everything, and they wisely asked me to define what I think success is.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NASB)

That’s it folks, nothing fancy. I am just seeking to let my light, or should I say His light, shine through me, in such a way, that people see the good works, and glorify My Father who is in heaven.  The biggest obstacle to this life verse is…ME, MYSELF and I.  God is always speaking to me, to us, through His Word, other people or circumstances.  The question is, how well am I listening?  How tuned in am I?  Jesus said many times, “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.”  We, do I? Do I have an ear to hear? Do you? What is standing in the way to hearing God’s still, small voice for you?

God put the finger on three areas this morning for me to deal with right now.  I’ve been rolling them around in my mind like marbles for a while, but something hit me hard as I went before Him this morning. To hear that still small voice, and not act on it immediately, well, is nothing but disobedience; plain old nasty defiance.  God calls it rebellion.  I must say that I was struck hard with this about three months ago, that is  when this latest journey began.  I have walked away from certain things I was doing, added a few things I was not doing, and trying to be a better God-listener.
The verse of the day at Bible Gateway fits this subject so perfectly:

Thus says the Lord, Who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters, “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 NASB)

Like I said before, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.  But it just happens to be December 31, 2016, and this is what God is speaking to me.  So Happy New Year, Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ.  Let us resolve from this moment forward, to listen better to God, to obey what He says.  Let us walk away from what is not of Him, and walk in those things that are of His Spirit.  Just so you know,  I just uninstalled a computer game that was taking way too much of my time and attention.  I have added two things that I believe God asked me to, about a month ago. And there is one more thing that needs to be diminished.  God is speaking to you and me, Precious Believers; let us tune our ears to listen, obey and thrive.