Light to Shine on Your Ways ~ Pointers & Pitfalls (XII)

12/24/21

As we end this series on hearing and discerning the Lord’s voice, I want to leave you with some pointers I have learned over the years.  Knowing that the Lord is a Rewarded of those who diligently seek Him, I believe some verses in Job gives us a roadmap of what He wants from us.

Assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.  Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.  You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.  What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.  (Job 22:24b-28).

If I use the verses in Job as my guide, I can glean items to help me concentrate on pursuing God’s voice.

• Seek the Lord first, seek Him as the Treasure that He is. So much more valuable than money or worldly security.  Hunt for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to me (Matthew 6:33).  As the scripture says: The Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.  His voice is my Reward and my wealth.
• Delight myself in the Lord.  If my mind is racing while I’m in my prayer, I take a deep breath and slowly concentrate on the Lord’s Prayer.  If there are other scriptures that are special to your walk with God, pray them back to Him.
• Lift up my face to Him by singing a favorite worship song which helps to quiet my mind and spirit so I can hear Him. In addition, if you have the gift of tongues…pray in your prayer language until your mind is calmed.
• Don’t resist the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If an idea or thought keeps cropping up in my mind during the prayer time with the Lord, I investigate it more by asking God about it.  
• Don’t give up easily asking Him a question. I know the Lord wants us to pursue Him so that He knows we’re serious about the answer.  Even though God knows our hearts, He’s training us to follow closely after Him for the answer.
• Let time test out what I hear, because He has my lifetime to fulfill what He has told me.  This is hard for me and I’m still working on this one!
• I can get weary of waiting for the Lord to act (which is why the above pointer is hard for me). Even so, I cannot stop praying…through pain, sorrow, disappointment, defeat, anger, confusion, etc. etc.  I have to keep praying as Job 22 states: You will pray to Him, and He will hear you.
• As I have mentioned in previous posts, seek out wise counsel for further confirmations. Iron sharpens iron as God’s Word proclaims. 
• If you are going to promise the Lord something, aka make a vow before Him, do not drag your feet in fulfilling it. If I am serious about making God a promise, I better be sure I am able to perform my vow.  If I can’t keep a promise, I need to keep my mouth shut!  God will not be mocked with my utterance.  And you will fulfill your vows.

When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.  (Deuteronomy 23:21).

Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.  Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?  (Ecclesiastes 5:5-6).

Lastly, two books I found very helpful when I was learning to hear God’s voice were:

I’m listening Lord by Marilyn Willett Heavilin: AmazonSmile: I'm Listening, Lord: 9780840734976: Heavilin, Marilyn Willett: Books

And Hearing God by Peter Lord: Hearing God: Lord, Peter: 9780801056505: AmazonSmile: Books

I love this quote from Charles H. Spurgeon: “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t”.  A perfect quote to make a life’s goal!  The Lord has promised us: What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.  As you start hearing Him, you will want more.  Stay thirsty, my friend! 

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. (Rev. 21:6).