Hearing God
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7
Genesis 3 tells the story of Adam and Eve’s sin against God. They disobeyed His instructions to not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. All they knew was the goodness of God until a lie from the enemy got their attention and opened the door to sin and death. Until that first bite, they had no reason for guilt, shame, fear, or pain.
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’" (Genesis 3:8-10 , NKJV)
The first families hearing was fine – they understood God. They also received a message from the deceiver. Then they made a choice to follow the lie. Eve and Adam ignored God’s plan. Their disobedience introduced pain into paradise.
Jesus says in Matthew 4:4 that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
We choose to operate from either the spiritual, or the carnal part of our nature. The carnal man is the one that can easily be influenced by half-truths, like Adam and Eve. But the spiritual operates from wisdom. And where does that wisdom come from? Proverbs 2:6 tells us that “the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
God knows every detail of your life.
He knows every single plan and purpose, and all that you the materials you will need to build the life you are made to enjoy. He knows what you’re made from, what you’re created for, and what you are capable of.
You know, when God gave Noah the specifications for the ark, He instructed him on everything from the gopher wood, to the pitch, to the measurements. Noah followed the Lord’s blueprint and was saved, along with his family. The same goes for you, my friend.
If there has ever been a time when the church needs to hear from God, it is in these days. Following the voice of the Lord is the only way we will make it. If we do not train ourselves to hear and obey the word of God, we will be easily led by the things of the world.
3 Ways Obedience Improves Your Ability to Hear God
1 – Obedience Allows Us to Walk with God – Enoch spent 300 years communicating with God, learning His ways, and focusing on God’s priorities. (Genesis 5:22)
2 – Obedience Maintains the Obedience / Increased Faith Domino Effect – When we trust God, we obey Him. Each time we do things His way, He proves that His way is best. When He comes through, our faith increases.
3 – Obedience Reveals More of God -- John 14:21 says, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
Father, speak to me. Speak to my heart. Speak to my soul, the spirit that lives in me. I open up to Your voice. I receive what You have. I thank You for what You are doing. Oh, God, I know You have a plan and a purpose for me and for my family. And I want to know what that plan and purpose is. Speak to me now. Build my faith. Speak words of life into my being. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
