Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.
It will be easier to discern the voice of God when we choose right from wrong, however when we have two right choices it becomes very difficult for us to discern God’s voice from our own passions and desires. The Word of God is the pointer. It is both the torch and the floodlight that illuminates as we walk. We have to take a step of faith and allow God to direct our steps, strides and stops. The precondition for the Lord to be your GPS is to acknowledge Him. To acknowledge him means, we recognize Him as the King, our decision maker, guide and our lead. A person who lives a surrendered life will not miss God’s path, His direction or His voice.
In Paul’s ministry journey, He was stopped by the Holy Spirit. Then Paul and his companions passed through Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Message in the province of Asia (Acts 16:6). The Bible does not say how he was forbidden. Maybe they booked their tickets and a bad weather forecast cancelled the journey or it could be his health did not co-operate and delayed their travel. However, Paul knew that it was the Holy Spirit who was stopping him and not the devil. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but satan blocked our way (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
How did he know the difference between the Holy Spirit forbidding and satan blocking them?
Discerning the Voice of God:
1. Desire: To a person who is subservient to the Holy Spirit, the desire to have, go or accomplish will die down when the Lord stops or redirects; however, when satan stops us the passion to pursue will continue to grow and not wither. Paul longed to visit the Thessalonians and it did not fade away from his prayer list. Passion to achieve a goal or accomplish a task is the energy that helps us to excel. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” As we acknowledge him in all that we do, He will give us the passion to pursue and the desire to do His will on planet earth.
2. Direction: Surrendering our wants and submitting to His will is the way to receive divine direction. It is not wrong to have big ambitions but total submission will guide our steps. The Holy Spirit will shut the wrong door and open the right door.
3. Decisive: Decisiveness or a resolute mindset is the outlook of a person who is able to discern the voice of the Lord from the noise of the world and the distractions of the devil. As we acknowledge Him and give Him all the control, He will make us bold and decisive in our decisions.
Let the Holy Spirit be behind the wheel; Let Him drive and you be a passenger and enjoy the drive.
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”.
Prayer: Dearest Holy Spirit, You are my King and my Lord. May I only be filled with the desire and decisiveness to do your will and be directed to accomplish your plan. Amen.
Leave a Reply