Sunday, February 05, 2006

God's Voice

Hey everybody, How are you all doing? I'm fantabulistic! I've been learning so much about and from God recently, particularly about trusting in Him and following His lead. After all, He knows best. Sometimes it's just so easy to say that His ideas seem crazy and/or we don't have the right words, any strength, or enough courage to step out of our comfort zones and do what He wants. Could it be possible that He's tapping us on the shoulder and telling us to do something, but still we refuse to listen and obey? I recently saw an interesting comment posted up on one of those boards outside a Church. It said something like, "Wait in silence so you may hear God's whisper." Interestingly enough, I thought that was yet another way in which God was whispering to me as He continued, and still is continuing, to teach me. If you really want to hear someone's voice, you usually listen for it, right? Even if they're kinda quiet and shy when they do talk to you, you're still willing to not only hear but you listen closely to what they have to say. Of course, you're probably thinking that God's never spoken to you personally. Maybe He's never physically tapped you on your shoulder, and you've never had Him speak to you in your dreams or through a burning bush or anything. Although we may have never personally heard God, or physically received a tap on the shoulder from Him, we can know that His presence is still with us. He promised that to us. My Aunt recently sent me a forward which taught me even more about obeying, after listening to, God. I thought you'd find it interesting, so here you go. Have a great day and God Bless!

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?" After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God...If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey." As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn Down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh Street. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will". He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street." The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you." The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?" The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

6 Comments:

Blogger JordanT said...

those are my favorite types of forwards. stories that have some kind of godly message to them. thank you for sharing that one.

3:35 PM  
Blogger Sharilyn said...

It was my pleasure. (I'm with ya there on liking those specific types of forwards too, by the way.)

4:18 PM  
Blogger Joshua said...

Oh Wow what a fantastic post!!! Listening to God is such a crazy concept! I have a similar story but it's not as crazy as the one you posted. It goes like this:

One day I felt like I just needed to soak up God's presence so I read my Bible and journaled and prayed and I was trying really hard to listen to any little things that God might be trying to whisper to me. It made sense that He would speak to me as I sat with Him in my room in the basement of my house. However, I didn't hear anything. I had a strange peace which I attributed to the fact that I was spending time with God. One of the things I was praying was that I wanted to obey and do whatever God wanted me to do. After I finished, I felt thirsty so I went upstairs to get a drink of water. On my way through the living room to the kitchen I looked down the hallway to my parents bedroom and immediately my own desire was to go and pop my head in the door and tell my mom I love her. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but until that time I HAD NEVER TOLD MY MOM "I love you." Shame on me, I know. So this desire was instantly mine even though it was contrary to my normal desires. I popped my head in and said "Hey mom. I just wanted to say I love you." Right before I spoke my mom was on her bed with her Bible opened and her head bowed talking to the Lord. She looked at me then I said it. Little did I know she was just crying out to God asking for Him to show her that He loved her. Then I stick my head in her door and say I love you. Talk about answer to prayer! I was stoked! And it's not like God put the idea in my head while I with Him in the basement. He waited till the last possible instant as I walked by the hallway upstairs.
Now I try and practice listening to God's voice everyday. At the end of my prayer time every morning I ask God four questions. "What do you want me to do today?" "How do want me to act today?" "When do you want me to act today?" and "How can I best represent you today?" After each question I just sit in silence and listen and I write down whatever pops into my head on sticky notes. Overtime it seems like I actually know what God's voice sounds like as it speaks in my thoughts. And the weird thing is that in those moments my thoughts don't work like they normally do. Normally my brain is thinking, "I need to trust in you or I need to focus on you." But in those moments my brain talk like this, "you need to trust in Me or you need to focus on Me." It's really cool and I highly advise you guys try it. Even if you hear nothing the first few times. God will know that every morning He has a chance to whisper in your ear or whisper through your hand onto a sticky, and one of these days if not regularly, He will do it.

5:46 PM  
Blogger Sharilyn said...

I like that story. Thanks for sharing. And I also like the idea you have for listening to God. It kinda makes me think of how you have to listen for something if you want to react to it, you know? If we don't know what to listen for, sometimes it's kinda hard to hear it and react. Anyway, hope that made sense for ya, and I thank you for your comment once again. It definitely got me thinking. And that is good.

8:02 PM  
Blogger kara dee. said...

wow! that's awsome guys! speaking of awnsers to prayer. I've told some of you guys about this (cuz I was so excited!), but I'll just share with you who haven't heard.

A couple of weeks ago in FISH, we decided to have a prayer time for like half of the time. We took prayer requests and one was for Chris Hennink (he used to come to youth in jr. High and a bit in Highschool...he goes to sheldon). Anyway, nothing happened for a couple of weeks or so, and then I find out on Wednesday, that he's been to the prayer meeting that day and the previous Sunday at Church. And he's decided that he wants to start coming out to church again. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!! I'm just amazed each time I think about God and all of his glory and power and wisdom!

WORTHY is the LAMB,who was slain, to recive POWER and STRENGTH and HONOR and GLORY and PRAISE!
-Revalation 5:12

amen! amen! amen! keep praying for Chris!

9:05 PM  
Blogger Sharilyn said...

You bet I will!

11:58 PM  

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