When God Speaks
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
06-15-2010
..."The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." - Judges 6:12
Has God ever spoken directly to you in such a way that you knew that it was actually His voice speaking to you specifically? I don't mean just an appropriate verse of Scripture, or a circumstance that seemed probable that it was God. I am talking about a situation that you know that you know it was the God of the universe speaking directly to you.
In the book Experiencing God, authors Henry Blackaby and Claude King say that one of seven important steps to experiencing God in everyday life is how God speaks to us. "God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways." [Henry Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing God (Nashville, Tennessee: LifeWay Press, 1990), 225]
You can examine the life of every major character in the Bible and see this principle expressed in the way God worked in each of their lives.
One of the ways God speaks is through others. God often used others to speak to individuals, especially in the Old Testament when God often spoke through the prophets. This is still one of the ways He speaks today.
Several years ago I was in a church on the west coast that I had never been in before. I was in the midst of a tremendous trial. Three people prayed for me, and as they did, they began to describe a picture that was reflective of my life since I was a young Christian. It was a very accurate picture of my life. About a year later a man from Virginia prayed with me in my office. After our prayer time, he began to describe what he had just seen as a picture of my life. It was the same picture that had been described a year earlier. A year after that I was on a trip overseas and a man from England whom I had never met before came to me. He and I had a time of prayer together, and at the end of our prayer time he described a picture he had just seen in his mind while we were praying. Again, it was the same type of picture as the two previous encounters. Only this time, one element was added that was important for me to know related to what God was doing in my life at that time. When God chooses to speak into our lives through others, it can be an incredible blessing. He speaks in many ways. This is just one of them.
God desires to encourage us by speaking to us. He does this in many ways. The next time someone speaks into your life, prayerfully consider whether God is using that person to convey something important He wants you to know.
Today's Prayer
Dear God, Your Word and acts of the past demonstrate to me Your desires to reflect Your nature and power through every individual--including me! I know that's because those who reflect Your glory affect the world. I pray that in all situations I face, I will be obedient and dependent upon You and give You all the praise and glory, so that You will demonstrate Your power that all people may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your Kingdom. I'd like to be able to say, with the Apostle Paul, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Cor. 2:4-5). Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.
A Clear Conscience
Dr. Charles Stanley
Acts 24:10-16
When facing hard decisions, do you pay attention to your conscience? And is it necessarily wise to trust this inner voice?
God gave everyone an internal "moral compass." In fact, reflecting His truth within all men is one way that He reveals Himself to mankind. The conscience is a divine alarm system that warns us of oncoming danger or consequences. Its primary purpose is godly protection and guidance.
But sin warps perception and can lead us astray. So it's important to understand the difference between following your heart and allowing a clear conscience to help with decisions. To make a determination, ask, What is the greatest influence on my morality? If the world's system of what is acceptable has infiltrated your heart, then your conscience cannot be trusted. But if you have allowed God's Word to permeate and transform your thinking (Rom. 12:2), that inner voice is likely trustworthy.
The Holy Spirit, along with a divinely informed conscience, guides believers. In order to maintain a healthy internal compass, we should continually meditate on Scripture. The Ten Commandments are a solid basis for morality, and we are wise to internalize them—especially the two Jesus highlighted: to love God above all else and to love others (Matt. 22:36-40).
What would you say has the greatest impact on your belief system? Is it the truth of Scripture? Or do the world's standards of right and wrong infect your heart? Almighty God knows what is best for you, His child—and He gave you a conscience to aid in making wise decisions.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.
STRINGS by Misty Edwards
A song that speaks for its self, talking about intimacy with Jesus, He has our life and we are searching for Him, He knows us and we want to know Him. We want to play the strings of His heart, (tell Him how much we love Him) we want more of Him in our lives.
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