hearing the voice of God

The Sweetest Voice

/ Bybrendat / 3 Comments

God talks to us in the stillness of the night.nature shot at stone mountain

When all is quiet in the world and nothing remains but the rhythmic beating of our hearts and the steady, calm sound of our breath.

If you can just learn to listen; to take pause and really listen, you will hear the sweet, sweet voice of God.

God also talks to us in the midst of our busy lives.

When the world is crazy; everything around us in a whirlwind; beeping horns; people talking and pressing engagements.

If you can just learn to listen; to take pause for even a moment and really listen, you will hear the sweet, sweet voice of God.

Oh, how I have always longed for those moments and am thrilled to finally realize that those moments can be anytime, anywhere. My how much better life is and how much clearer my path now that I am finally leaning to listen with my heart; now that I am finally hearing the sweet, sweet voice of God.

I pray you can hear Him, too. Amen and Ehmen!

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,

and they follow me.

John 10:27

 

God is the Silver Lining…

/ Bybrendat / Leave a comment

Dear God,

Tonight as I stepped outdoors to go for our evening stroll together, I took pause when I saw a darkening sky. I debated for a moment whether or not I should go and then decided to go back inside, grab an umbrecloud with silver lininglla and get to stepping. I don’t like to miss time with You.

And, as usual you didn’t disappoint. As I walked along, I felt Your Presence urging me to look up.  And there, Your sky became a theatre and the story You told, just like You, will stick with me through thick and thin.

“My child, thank you for trusting me enough to come on this walk,” I heard you say. “And, because of your obedience, I have something to share with you.”

“Look up, child. Though there are dark, ominous clouds rolling in, there are also white, puffy clouds with silver and gold highlights perched ever so gently in the blue heavens. Those white clouds, blue skies and beams of sunshine represent Me. And, even though, storms may roll in, I Am always here. Just on the other side of that dark cloud and whatever it may bring, I, your Father, your Creator, exists, working even in the storm to bring about good. Don’t forget, my child, that this is My story. I Am the Author and the Producer and I control the outcome.  And, this Good Guy, won’t ever be finishing last.  Just breathe through the storm and know that all dark clouds will eventually pass and you will see Me in all My Glory, smiling and proud of your obedience and faith. Here, child, take a bow with Me.”

Love,

Brenda

Writer’s Note: I wrote this in my personal God Journal a couple of years ago. I decided to post it today, because it is another living example that God is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do. Trouble, in many different forms, did come to me over the weeks following this conversation with God and, to this day, I firmly believe that this reminder is what helped me to traverse those very difficult waters and come out on the other side better than before. Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 says: Trust God with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” I’m continually learning this lesson by experience and, oh, what a difference it makes in my life. Things are just so much easier. Thank you, God, for continuing to direct my path. Amen and Ehmen.

And the Word of God says…

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NLT)

John 16:33

 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (NLT)

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (NLT)

Simple Obedience Can Turn an Ordinary Day Into an Extraordinary One

/ Bybrendat / Leave a comment

Writer’s Note: I believe that God loves to show up and show out in the lives of His children. Sometimes it’s in a really big and dramatic way and sometimes it’s in a quiet, subtle way, a little wink from the Creator Himself. I’ve experienced both as I have learned to listen for His voice and both are undeniably exciting. The following is a page from my personal “God Journals” documenting what happened on an ordinary day when I slowed down long enough to listen. I hope you enjoy and that it perhaps grows your faith a little just by reading. It sure grew mine! And, please feel free to comment, I’d love to hear from you. Have a happy day! 🙂

There was a time in my life–in fact, for probably most of my life–that I would pretty much tune out when someone claimed to hear the voice of God. I actually remember thinking how crazy one must be to really think that God would talk to a mere human. Until, that is, I started hearing the voice of God for myself.Goodwill and Purpose Driven Life Book

Now, while it is true that some people sometimes hear an audible voice, I must admit that I have not to this point in my life. For me, it’s more of a knowing deep in my spirit, that beautiful, still small voice as described in scripture. Why a still small voice, I have wondered. Why does our Big God not have a big booming voice? The answer, I think, is that He does have a booming voice, but He only uses it when He really needs it. He prefers to use His “inside” voice, the one that is reserved for those that are the closest to Him. Do you remember how Christ often took the disciples away from the busyness and noisy world, such as when he took them to the upper room for the Last Supper?

I believe that it is God’s desire that we retreat with him into the inner room, away from all the noise so that he can commune and talk with just us. You see, we live in a very loud world, a world that is filled with bustling busy-work; a world plagued by noisy battles. But, in the “inner room” all of those noises are muted and God’s voice permeates our heart and soul and, if we are paying attention, we just “know.” The key is paying attention and learning to recognize those sweet, sweet moments. In fact, it is my hope and prayer, that next time you have one of those moments where you feel God is prompting you; where you think you hear His voice, don’t doubt it. If a scripture address crosses your mind while praying to God, stop what you are doing and look it up. God has answered so many questions and enlightened me in this manner so many times in recent years. And, trust me, it never gets old.

If you feel God is prompting you to do something and that something does not defy scripture, do it!  This, too, has happened to me many times in the last few years with some crazy and amazing results that have left myself and others in awe. Things that seemed small, when done in obedience, turned out to be quite profound, awe-inspiring and, quite frankly, potentially life-changing for those involved.

One such experience happened to me on a recent Sunday afternoon. After church, I went on my usual Taco Bell lunch run. As I enjoyed a quick bite in my car, I made a mental note of my schedule for the rest of the day. It was going to be a tight one as I had many things to do before being due back at Church for the new Sunday evening services. First, I had to go to the bank, then the pharmacy, the grocery store and back home to do a few chores before returning to church. The more I thought about it, the quicker I chewed. I had to get going if I was going to fulfill all on my schedule.

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