A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (April 26, 2017)
He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry and fed you with manna, [a substance] which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, so that He might make you understand [by personal experience] that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3, Amplified Bible)
I can’t seem to get away from this subject. The importance of hearing God’s voice is just so critical in these days. It’s not enough to know what God said in times past. We need to know what He is saying today. This is not something we can contract out to someone else like our local Pastor or our favorite Christian author. This is our personal responsibility!
We have entire denominations today that are operating on historical doctrines and past revelations and don’t have a clue that God still wants to speak to His people today. You can change that. Let’s look at a few examples in the Bible of how this communication with God is supposed to work.
Elijah was a great and powerful prophet of God with many victories behind him. But now, Jezebel had threatened to kill him and he was hiding in a cave and wanting to die. He even asked God to take his life. He thought it was all over for him. Now, how important was it for Elijah to hear God’s voice?
And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:13) And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. (1 Kings 19:15-16)
This was the beginning of the end for the evil House of Ahab and Jezebel. God was not through with Elijah, but it was critical that Elijah be able to hear and recognize the voice of God and not rely on past history. That has not changed! If you are stuck in a cave of depression, a place of doubt and unbelief, an apparent dead-end road, a critical decision making spot, or any other such thing, God can and wants to speak to you. He has a plan! It’s not over!!
In First Samuel 3 we read how God spoke to Samuel as a child. At first, Samuel thought it was Eli but God was teaching Samuel how to recognize His voice. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. (1 Samuel 3:8-10)
Samuel grew up to be one of the greatest prophets of Israel and I believe it started, grew, proceeded, and ended with his ability to hear God’s voice and speak the things that he heard without fear. A testimony of his life as a prophet is recorded as follows. Oh that we all would have such a testimony.
And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. (1 Samuel 12:2-5)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
