Month: November 2022

Be doers of the Word, not merely hearers.

James 1:22

My women’s Bible study is doing the Priscilla Shirer DVD/workbook study called Discerning the Voice of God. Priscilla shares truth about the Holy Spirit that I wish I had known when I first believed in Jesus many years ago. We are learning so much from this study! I highly recommend it!

As I was re-reading some of the messages I have posted on my website, I came across this one from nearly a year ago. So much of it encourages the same response to the truth that Priscilla shares in her study. I wanted to share it again as I reminder to myself and to all of you who will read this.

Heart of Hearing

Be doers of the Word, not merely hearers.

James 1:22

A hearing test this week confirmed my suspicions — I need hearing aids.  It’s no surprise, but I’ve been putting it off for a while.  I don’t want to admit that I’m getting older and I can’t hear as well as I used to.

But it made me start thinking about “spiritual hearing.”  We have a God who speaks to us! Hebrews 1:1 reminds us that in the past, God spoke to the people of Israel through prophets.  Now He speaks to us through His own Son, Jesus, who is the Word of God.  And He speaks to us through the written word, the Bible.  He speaks through the Holy Spirit who is the “still small voice saying, This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). 

How do we hear God speaking to us?  What is necessary for us to be able to hear God’s voice?  If we belong to Him through faith in Jesus and have surrendered our lives to Him, we have the ability to hear Him. John 10:27 tells us: My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me. We are His sheep!

In any relationship, it is important to spend time with the person, talking and listening, sharing our thoughts, getting to know each other.  So true in our relationship with God!

We need to set aside time to be with Him. It helps to find a time and a place where we can be alone, without distractions. He calls us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  It’s often easier to just do all the talking, telling God about all my needs and the needs of others.  But I am learning the importance of asking Him to quiet my heart and mind of all other distractions and help me just to listen to Him.  I saw an interesting quote recently: “SILENT AND LISTEN have all the same letters.”

The book Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson challenges us to “seek God’s face before we seek His hand” – to focus on God Himself and worship Him for who He is and what He has done before we bring our requests.  He reminds us that God already knows everything that is going on in our lives.  Starting with worship has changed my prayer life! 

Not only are we able to hear God speaking to us, but He hears us when we talk to Him!  My women’s Bible study focused on Psalm 40 the last couple of weeks. Verse 1 tells us He “inclines” His ear to us or “turns” to us and hears our cry.  The picture that comes to my mind is the Lord actually leaning in close to us, paying attention to us when we’re talking to Him.  He’s with us always.  Psalm 121:1 promises that our God will never slumber nor sleep.  He watches over us at all times.

The book of Revelation repeats many times this phrase: “He who has ears, let him hear.”  James 1:22 commands us not just to hear but to obey – to “be doers of the Word, not merely hearers.” I don’t want to be spiritually “hard of hearing.”  Instead, I want to have a “heart of hearing.” My prayer is for a heart that is tuned to hear God’s voice.  I want to grow more deeply in love with Him and be willing to follow wherever He leads.  I want to have a heart that trusts Him for whatever He has planned. 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How is your “spiritual hearing?”  Can you hear God calling you to an even deeper love relationship?  How will you respond?

Are you listening for God’s voice? What has He said to you today? Are you willing to obey?

Is time alone with God a priority in your life? We can ask God to change our heart to give us that desire.

How could you adjust your schedule to make time with Him a priority?

Behold, I am going to do something new.  Now it will spring up; Will you not be aware of it?  I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

I was reading in a journal entry I had written a while ago, and it was such a great reminder to think back about what God has done that I was not expecting.  This is the prayer I wrote that morning:

“Lord, I want to make a covenant with you this morning to release my desire to know ahead of time what will happen in each of the areas I have prayed about.  I will just wait quietly, listening for Your “still small voice” saying ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”

You know the plans you have for me.  I love You, and I trust You.  Please continue the work You are doing in my heart.  You are the potter; I am the clay.  You are the vine; I am the branch.  You are the Shepherd; I am Your sheep.  I am open to whatever plans You have for me.”

Since I wrote those words, God has led me to create a website to begin publishing weekly devotionals.  That was never something that I had been planning to do!  I started with messages I had written a long time ago, and have continued writing new ideas that God brings to me as I read and study His Word and lead women’s Bible studies. The first devotional was published on my website on June 1, 2020.

The next new idea was to compile the devotionals and publish a book.  God prompted several friends to present this idea to me.  At first I said no, because that was something I’d never considered or had any interest in pursuing.  But once it was clear that this was God’s plan for me, I began with one step at a time.  At each step of the journey, I would have to call a friend for prayer and practical help with what to do next.  God provided everything in order to accomplish the printing of the first book of devotionals in March 2021.  And now I’ve just published a second book in October 2022.  I’m still surprised that I was able to do that!

If I’d known this ahead of time, I would have thought those things were impossible.  But because I have grown in my desire to hear God’s voice leading me, and because I believe He promises to provide what is necessary for us to accomplish what He asks us to do, I was willing to take the baby steps to get started.  He definitely convinced me that He was doing something new!  He has made that “roadway in the wilderness” when I didn’t have a clue what I was doing to start the journey.  And the “river in the desert” is His Holy Spirit living in me giving me the encouragement and wisdom for each step of the way.

I’m studying Priscilla Shirer’s “Discerning the Voice of God” with the women in my Bible study.  We just finished a section about the Holy Spirit, and the truth she shares is life-changing!  I wish I had known when I first received Jesus as my Savior that I had also been given the gift of the Holy Spirit living in me. 

I highly recommend this study if you feel you need to get to know the Holy Spirit and what God sent Him to do in our lives.  Another book that helped me is “Forgotten God” by Frances Chan. 

The Lord continues to increase my desire to spend time with Him each morning and throughout the day praying, reading His Word, and getting to know Him more.  The more I get to know Him, the more I want to know His will for my life and trust Him to accomplish it through me. 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Do you feel that God is preparing to do something new in your life?  Is there a heart attitude that needs to change?  Is there a relationship that He wants to change?  A new ministry He is calling you to?

Are you willing to spend time listening for His voice with a willingness to follow wherever He leads?

Consider writing a prayer expressing your heart.  Maybe you need to begin by asking Him for a willing heart to listen and to obey.  Thank Him that He knows you and has a plan for Your life.  He will lead you clearly as He reveals His plan.

Moses’ hands were heavy…

Exodus 17:8-13

(I posted this message previously, but as I’m reading through Exodus again, I needed this reminder, and prayerfully it will encourage you too.)

After the people of Israel were set free from slavery in Egypt, Moses was leading them through the wilderness.  As they were being attacked by their enemies, the Amalekites, Moses came up with a battle plan:  Moses told Joshua to choose men to go out and fight.  Moses would station himself at the top of a hill with the staff of God in his hand.  Moses, Aaron, and Hur all went up to the top of the hill as the battle was going on down below.  When Moses held up his hand, the Israelites prevailed, but when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. What happens next fascinates me, and I love the picture that it gives for our lives today.

 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side and one on the other—so that his hands were steady until the sun set. So, Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

This is the picture that comes to my mind when God brings someone to my attention who is just worn out from battling the enemy.  I have been in that place myself where I was just too emotionally, physically, and spiritually tired to fight anymore, even to lift my own hands in prayer.  Can you identify with that?  God has given us a wonderful example to follow.  Sometimes we need to be the one to come alongside a brother or sister who is weak and tired and “support their hands.”  We need to prayerfully ask God what we can do to help that person.  What practical ways can we get involved? 

Perhaps more difficult than supporting someone else’s weak hands is admitting our own need to be supported.  Many of us like to be the ones to offer aid to others but find it very difficult to receive help ourselves. During the times when the battle is the fiercest, we really can’t fight by ourselves. We need to be willing to admit when we are worn out and need help.  God never meant for us to fight the battles alone.  He intends for us to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to strengthen the hands that are weak (Hebrews 12:12).

Notice that Aaron and Hur placed Moses on a stone.  Psalm 18:2 tells us The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. When I am called by God to help strengthen one who is weak, I need to make sure I am leading them to Him, the Rock, not giving them my own advice about the solution to their problem.

The Lord is the firm foundation, the refuge, the deliverer (Psalm 18:2).  God Himself and His Word need to be at the center of our encouragement to others.  We need to pray for God’s wisdom as we come alongside to help.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God brought someone into your life who needs encouragement?

At times we can be overwhelmed by the needs of someone else.  Remember that God is their rock, their refuge, and strength.  Depend on Him to give you the wisdom that is needed to help support them.

Or maybe you are personally feeling weak.  Do you have someone you can reach out to and ask them to support you in prayer?  We can always ask God to send just the right person to “hold up our hands” when we are in a battle.