The Lord Speaks ...

For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it.   Job 33:14 (HCSB)

How many times has The Lord spoken to me and I did not notice it.

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
― C.S. Lewis

I grew up believing in God and having faith in Him yet I didn't have a personal relationship with him until I was in my thirties.  Through seeking Him, I've come to learn so much in the past nine, almost ten years.  That He speaks, He comforts, He leads us and guides us, He feeds us our daily bread, He whispers in our ears.  He speaks to us through others, through His Word, through books, through the tugging of our heart, through our preachers preaching, through a stranger in the grocery store, through nature, through our neighbor's goats, through a blog or two, through an email asking for wisdom, through our little girls and our circumstances, through our pains, through our fears, and through our tears.  Like C.S. Lewis states, sometimes it's a whisper, other times it's a shout, at times unfortunately it is in our pain.  So is God currently whispering, speaking or shouting to you? Unfortunately it's ALL things, the good, the bad and the ugly, the whispering, the speaking, the shouting, that all work together for good, for those who love The Lord! (Romans 8:28) But praise God its for good! It's all for good when it's all for God!

Last week, I said I would be sharing about my journey.  Our preacher mentioned "our journey" in his prayer this past Sunday and that one word echoed in my ears and I thought about the blog I felt led to title "The Journey".  One of my devotionals yesterday mentioned our "journey" twice and the word popped off the page, especially the second time.  I'm reading the Bible in a year and the reading in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy yesterday was the below three in a row headings:
JOURNEY past Seir
JOURNEY past Moab
JOURNEY past Ammon
Then again today in another devotion, "in our journey".  The Lord always confirms things to me in threes.  I don't know if that's because I'm always asking Him for confirmation or if it's because I'm slow at getting it, slow at listening, slow at recognizing it's Him, and or slow too at obeying.   Thank you Lord, you knew me before your formed me.  Thank you Lord for your patience with me.  When I hear or read or get a word or passage over and over, I know The Lord is obviously speaking to me.  I've tried to get in the habit of asking Him to confirm what I think He is telling me with scripture and usually, when it's Him, He always does.  I've had it happen so many times, and in such sweet special ways, no one could convince me that it's "coincidence".  So He is obviously speaking to me about my journey.  And or He is reminding me to write about what I had said I would write about, my journey, this blog. Is He softly reminding me to do what I said I would do, reminding me to be obedient, to live up to my word, to persevere, even though I'm tired or would much rather read a book in my free time.  Yes, maybe more confirmation.  Am I hearing? am I following? Am I following everything He is telling me to do or think that He is telling me to do? Are you hearing? Are you following?

I've always loved the sheep analogy in the Bible, He is our shepherd and we are His sheep!
  "My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow me" John 10:27
(HCSB)

That one scripture gives us an opportunity for three (really four, but we're going to focus on these three) important questions to reflect upon:

1. (My sheep)
Are you His sheep? Are you saved? Are you staying in your flock, and more importantly near the shepherd? Where would you go if you died today?

2. (They hear my voice)
Are you hearing from Him? Are you listening? Are you expecting the God of the universe to speak to you, His precious sheep?

3. (They follow me)
Are you following Him?

My sheep ... If you are unsure about the first question, please contact me, a pastor or a Christian you look up to and can trust, so that we can pray with you, maybe talk through with you.  If you doubt your salvation, pray, seek, draw near to Him! (Yes hell is real and the devil is real.  We could very easily tell people who say they don't believe in God, start seeking Him and see if the powers of hell don't come after you.  That's proof in itself there is a God and a war going on for our very souls!) The devil had me doubt my salvation for too many years! Praise God, No more doubting.  It's final.  It is done. It is finished! Let this season of Easter and the cross remind you that it is finished, no more doubting! It's time for resurrection, the dead thoughts to come to life, and life in that area of bondage! Victory that Jesus died to give! May we come to the cross everyday not just during Easter!

They hear from me ... Are you hearing from God? How and how often? If you want to hear from Him more, my best advice, is to get up a few minutes early in the morning, with your Bible, a pen and paper.  Sit and be still.  Just call out to Him! Those who seek me early will find me!  It's a promise! I promise you will find Him! I have found Him and there is no sweeter name then the name of Jesus! Start talking to Him during and throughout the day, about anything and everything! Walk and talk with Him through out the day! A relationship is a two way street, He wants you to hear from Him and He wants you to communicate back and forth with Him! Thank Him for your food, for all that you have, ask for His help when you are discouraged, when you are tired, when that person at your office is driving you crazy, when nothing in you not even a hair on your head wants to forgive that person, when your strong willed four year old is pitching a fit and will not listen to you, when you are constipated or have a headache! He is our all In all, Yes He knows when we are backed up with bitterness or with you know what! He is our everything and He wants us to turn to Him in all things! When that pain is shouting at you, ask what is He trying to tell you? Ask Him! Ask Him to help you better hear from Him! Just say, 'Speak Lord for your servant is listening!'

And lastly, Are you following Him?  This is a tough one.  Some areas harder than others. The first one to become His sheep by Believing and you shall be saved.   After we are saved, His sheep come to know Him, and we hear His voice! We all love benefits of being a sheep, the peace, the love, the joy, the favor of The Lord! His Holy Spirit in us, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in us! Oh the Spirit of The Lord is amazing! I'm ashamed to say, I've been drunk and high on some illegal drugs before, but I can also say that there is no high like the God Most High! But the hard part is when He asks us to do something we don't want to do.  To follow him, to love someone we don't want to love, to forgive someone we don't want to forgive, to eat something we don't want to eat, or not eat something we want to eat, to say things we don't want to say, or not say things we want to say, to take care of our bodies with a good diet and exercise, to do things we don't want to do and not do what we want to do, the list goes on.  I don't know what The Lord is asking you to do, but think about it, how long has He been asking? I've been struggling for a while with something He has been telling me not to do.  And writing this this today is more convicting for me, because I believe and I'm a sheep, and oh how He has been speaking to me in all the different ways that He speaks, but I have failed at following In this area of my life.  Some days are better than others.  It's three steps forward and two steps backward.  Which praise God I'm still moving forward.  One step at a time, one day at a time, sweet Jesus! Slowly but surely.  Lord, thank you for mercies are new everyday and thank you for your grace that Jesus died to give. Thank you for sanctification! Thank you for your patience! Lord give us Scriptures to renew our minds to obey in whatever areas you are calling us to obey! To walk in freedom in those areas of bondage.

The original conviction, Last week I emailed my pastor for some wisdom, because I was struggling with a decision in some areas of hearing from God on serving in church.
When He replied back he said...

"Far too often, most of us have problems DOING God’s will that we already know. Trying to discern God’s will and KNOW His will is a challenge which calls for prayer and “renewing your mind” to prove that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. I wish I could have a spiritual GPS that means “God Point to Something” and I could see a big glowing finger pointing out what, when, where and how. But He works through our faith, obedience, perseverance, patience because He wants to change us as much as use us."  Pastor Dale Funderburg, FBCWP

Ouch ... I'm fretting over hearing from God on where to serve, what to do, what not to do, or keep doing for Him in the local church, whether to write this blog in my free time or not, meanwhile I'm failing miserably doing what I KNOW HE wants me to do! To love, to forgive, to do those random acts of kindness for others that are hurting, to pray for others, to reach out to the poor the lost and the needy on a more regular basis, to sell most of my stuff and give to the poor, to eat better, to eat more, to exercise.  Another OUCH... I've been more concerned about God using me instead of God changing me.  I could elaborate here too, my pride, but that would be another blog post or two or three. OUCH.

Priscilla Shirer in her Discerning the Voice of God study, mentions that most don't know that it was God actually speaking to them until after the fact.  But the more, I've come to know Him and His voice and the way He speaks to me, the more I fall in love with Jesus.  I know He has convicted me, He has tugged at my heart again through the words of my brother.  I also know I don't always get it right, and I don't know If the "Journey" word is a reminder to write or not, but I do know that He will be with me on the journey, loving me along the way! Praise Jesus!  And the more He whispers, speaks and shouts the more I want to know Him, His Word, the more I want to seek Him, hear from Him, serve Him, and follow Him.  More so in the pleasures, but even in the convictions and the pain! I have failed at all of the above, in more ways than I want to admit! But that's part of the journey!

Lord, I thank you for this day!  Thank you for the cross so that we could have a personal relationship with you! Thank you for your love! For this season of the reminder of the cross, yet may we go to the cross every day of the year.  Thank you for speaking to us Lord, thank you that we are your sheep.  Thank you for conviction Lord to do what you want us to do! I pray for each person reading this, that they believe or will believe in you, that they know you, that we would all seek you with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength all of our days! That we would long to hear from you, that we would notice when you speak to us! That we would hear from you and that we all would follow! Speak Lord for your servants are listening! That we would want to be changed by you Lord! Change us oh Lord, create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us Oh Lord! Help us to obey you! Give us the grace to walk through the shouting pain in our lives! Heal our hearts Lord! Reveal and heal deep hurts in us oh Lord! Help us to carry our cross whatever that may be! Thank you Lord for life! May we all live our lives for you, to do your will and hear 'well done, my faithful servant' instead of 'Back away from me, for I didn't know you'! May we walk and talk with you! We pray all of this in the mighty precious name of Jesus! Amen and amen and amen!!!

Until next time ...
Be still and hear Him today,
Terri

Additional scriptures:

I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgement but has passed from death to life. I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  John 5:24-25 (HCSB)

When you are in tribulation and all these things come upon you, in the latter days you will turn to the Lord your God and be obedient to His voice. Deuteronomy 4: 30

If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to do watchfully all these commandments which I command you this day. Deuteronomy 15: 5

The mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Psalm 50: 1

But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you. Jeremiah 7: 23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’    Matthew 7:21-22 (HCSB)

Our journey

He sent His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.  (Psalm 107:20) HCSB

I've been feeling led to start a blog, as well as writing a book, which is crazy because I don't feel like I'm a writer! I'm a talker! I always struggled with reading and writing in school.  My mother had to get me a tutor in the first grade.  I have always felt inadequate in reading and comprehending, as well as writing, grammar, & spelling.  There are fears, the 'what if's and the 'what nots', which I will not bore you with.  I'm sure you have the same fears.  I would much rather call you or email you, you being who or whom I'm close with, over the phone and share what I've learned from The Lord, what I am learning and what I want to know more about, my fears, my failures, my accomplishments, my journey  ...
But I'm going to be obedient to what my heart is saying even though my head isn't feeling it, because we can't live by our feelings or our fears! I've done that for way too long.  When I have lived according to my feelings I'm been a train wreck at times!  When I've lived by fears I've gone to a pit.  The alternative, we have to live by faith, putting our toes in the water and doing whatever God is asking us to do.  To just do it! To do what's in our heart, even when our head doesn't understand it or feel like it or is fearing the call.  As some of my favorite preacher chicks say "when we face our fears we become fearless"! We are either living by fear or living by faith!  May we live by faith and trust and obey! Help us Lord!

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.   (2 Timothy 1:7) HCSB

Do any of you have a mess right now? An emotional mess, a physical mess? I've had all of the above.  They say our mess becomes our message, our test becomes our testimony! So, in future posts, I'm going to write and share some of my journals about my mess, my tests, my journey ... With Jesus, as well as without Him, me seeking Him, not seeking Him, life lessons with my husband, with my older kids, with my late in life strong willed 4 year old princess, with my family, with my chicks,, with my friends, with the chicken poop on the carport and the dirty dishes in the sink, with life in general ... all of it's joys, demands, disappointments, good choices, bad choices, seasons of disobedience, highs, lows and whatever He is calling me to at this moment, for this season of my life! My life before Christ and my life after He saved a wretch like me! Oh, Amazing Grace!

If my former mess and message gives hope to just one person, it will all be worth the struggle, the time, the fight, the facing the fear! Lord, may I keep my eyes on you Lord, not on others, not on my circumstances, not on my fears, not on my self, but on you Lord! Amen!

So if you feel led to read about my journey, this so called "blog", I hope you will grab your Bible, a pen and a notebook journal for the reflection questions.  I pray that His Holy Spirit would speak to you, encourage you, comfort you, and that you would be still, and that you too will write about your journey, your beautiful story!  If we allow Him, He makes all things beautiful in its time! More importantly, I hope you will draw near to the one who made it possible for you to have a story.  The one who gives you breath! His Word says when we draw near to Him, He promises to draw near to us!

So for this first blog post I want you to think about where you are on your journey? I recently went to a marriage conference where Dale and Jena Forehand mentioned the quote "an unexamined life is a wasted life!"! Life is short, let's not waste what He died to give us!

Have you examined your life lately?
WHERE ARE YOU at on your journey?
Where are you at on your journey of life spiritually, emotionally and physically?
Need improvement in one or all of those areas? (Pray and meditate on 1 Thess. 5:23)
Where else do you want to go and what else do you want to do?
What do you want your obituary to say?
What do you think The Lord is calling you to do for this season of your life? To trust ...to obey ... To read His Word... To write ... To share ... To love someone ... To forgive ...  To fast ... To pray ... To work for Him... To serve Him in His church... To go to church ... To be planted in His local church... To trust Him financially ... To Tithe your 10% ... To trust your kids with Him ... To submit to Him ... To submit to your earthy husband ... To trust Him with your health and sickness  ... To eat better ... To exercise ... To take care of your body ... To accept Him as your personal savior? .... To ...(...fill in the blank )  praise God He is patient with us!

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 5:23) HCSB

Dear Lord, 
I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and to do whatever you ask us to do! I thank you for the grace you give us to do the things we can't do on our own.  I thank you that you speak to us, your sheep, and that you are our shepherd and you lead us and guide us through the journey of life!  I thank you that you help us to face our fears, and you give us the gift of faith to believe In you, to seek you, to come to know you In a deeper intimate relationship with you! Thank you for taking me deeper.  Thank you for healing my soul.  I pray for each person that reads this.  I pray that you would bless them Lord in a special way, that they would go deeper with you Lord! I pray that this blog be whatever you want it to be, nothing more, and nothing less, not what I want Lord but only what you want!  I thank you for you always being there to comfort me through my mess, as I share my mess and your message of hope to others, I pray, if it's your will, that it would comfort others as your Word says in 2 Corinthians 1:4 I pray that each person reading this would be comforted by you Lord, they would experience your peace and your love! Thank you Lord for life, for dying on the cross for me and for all others.  Help us to examine each area of our lives Lord! Search our hearts Lord! Continue to burden our hearts for what hurts yours Lord! And as we journey together with you Lord and with one another, we will give you all the honor, all the glory and all the praise to you! Because it's all because of you JESUS! All because of you JESUS! 

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:4) HCSB

Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. John 4:6 HCSB

Sit down at the well today and be still... Let Him give you living water today and everyday of your journey! He promises you will never be thirsty again!

Until next time...
His Grace and peace to you,
Terri