Voices in my head.  Voices in my ears.  Voices in my heart.  How do I sort them out?

God says that He speaks to us in a still, small voice, but how do I hear it above all the other voices that come at me each day?  I went to my Joyce Meyer Everday Life Bible and looked to see what verses she listed for Hearing from God. Listen to what the bible says in these verses from the Amplified version.

Deuteronomy 28:1 If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require.

Psalm 95:7-8  For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.  Today, if you will hear His voice, vs 8:  Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

Psalm 119: 129-130  Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them].  vs 130:  The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

Jeremiah 7:23  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 the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you.

Matthew 7:24-25  So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will  be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Matthew 13: 19, 23  While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is what was sown along the roadside.  vs 23: As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.

John 10:5, 27  They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.  vs. 27: The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

Romans 10:17  So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself).

James 1:22-25  But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].  vs 23: For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully on his [own] natural face in a mirror; vs. 24: For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.  vs 25: But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

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When you read these verses together, you can see a common thread of listening to God through reading His word, of being obedient to His word, His commands, His ways.  We must not harden (close) our hearts to what He says in His word.  We must not listen to strangers, those who do not know God and His word.  We must listen for His voice.  We must obey Him.  We must be doers of the Word.  We must sow the seeds of our life on good soil, which is the Word of God.

In doing all these things, He will give us ability, understanding, and a harvest in our lives.  Then and only then will we be able to hear His voice above all the other voices that come at us each day.

When I call, give me answers God, take my side!  Once in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I’m in trouble again: grace me! hear me!

You rabble–how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies?  How long will you live crazed by illusion?

Look at this: look Who got picked by God!  He listens the split second I call to him.

Complain if you must, but don’t lash out.  Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking.  Build your case before God and wait for His verdict.

Why is everyone hungry for more?  “More, more,” they say.  “More, more.”  I have God’s more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.  At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, for you, God , have put my life back together.

Psalm 4, The Message

God has been teaching me how to better deal with conflict, at home, at work, even while resting, and especially with difficult people.  I was reading an article by Lisa TerKeurst where she makes the statement, “Am I trying to prove or improve? In other words, is my desire in this conflict to prove that I am right or to improve the relationship at hand?”

Boy, that really puts it in perspective for me.  So often we are so concerned with the fact that we feel we are right, we lose sight of the value of the other person we find ourselves in conflict with.  I especially find it most difficult when I feel so certain that I really AM right and yet the other person remains unwilling to budge.  I have really had to work at leaning on the Holy Spirit to help me simply shut up!

I have learned that sometimes it is better to simply be quiet, let the subject rest and trust the Holy Spirit to move on the other person’s heart.  Along the way, however, I have often been surprised at the way He has moved on my own heart as well!!

God has taught me that I don’t always need to be right.  I don’t always need to strive to make my point known.  I don’t always need to speak.  Sometimes I just need to allow Him to move in my life situation and help me improve the relationship instead.

To God be the Glory!

How many times have you found yourself thinking, “Not again!  Why must I go through this again, Lord?  When will I finally learn this lesson?”

Isn’t it frustrating to find yourself facing the same battle you thought you won the last time it reared its ugly head?  Surely I’ve got this, THIS TIME!!  But then, it happens again.  You lose your temper.  You shout at your spouse or your child.  You spill that same glass the same way you spilled it the last time.  Didn’t I learn to move it out of the way yet?

Thank God He is patient with us.  Thank God He sees the bigger picture of our life.  Thank God that these things that continue to haunt us are really insignificant in light of eternity.  Thank God there is forgiveness, as many times as we need it.

Thank God!

Thoughts…we all have them…day in and day out, thousands of thoughts seem to run through our minds throughout our waking hours.  Where do they all come from?  Did you ever really think about that?

Thoughts of pleasure.  Thoughts of pain.  Thoughts of love.  Thoughts of hate.  Thoughts of peace.  Thoughts of turmoil.  Thoughts of fun.  Thoughts of boredom.  Thoughts of God.  Thoughts of the world.  So many, many thoughts.

Proverbs 34:7a says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  Amplified Bible

I Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands (who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm), take heed lest he fall (into sin.)” Amplified Bible

God wants us to think pure, wholesome thoughts, but the devil wants to put impure, unwholesome thoughts into our mind instead.  The devil wants to have us dwell on his negative thoughts in order to make us ineffective for God.

But the Word of God says in Philippians 4:8, “…whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, think on and weigh and take account of these things (fix your mind on them).” Amplified Bible

It is through faith and a conscious choice to walk in that faith that we can allow God to purify our thoughts and help us throw out the thoughts that do not fit His list of what we should think on.

Trust Him today to enable you to walk in His thoughts, thinking only on those that are worthy and true, honorable and just, pure and lovely, virtuous and excellent.  Fix your mind on these thoughts, by faith in Jesus!

Heard a great word at Love of Christ Church today.  The message by Pastor Steve was titled, “The Bible is Final Authority.”  Very relevant information.  The quotes that struck me the most are:

• It doesn’t matter what I think; it matters what God says.
• Love for God is obeying His commands.
• It doesn’t matter what I feel; it matters what God says.

The Bible IS our Final Authority.  It truly does answer our every question about how to live our life.  If we say we love God but do not read and study His word and apply it to our lives, we are actually in rebellion to Him.  As Pastor Steve says, “If you don’t obey, you’re not a follower.”

We are only kidding ourselves if we think we are following Jesus but not obeying His word.  And we must read and study His word to know it and obey it.  We also must obey ALL of it, not just pick out the things we like and ignore the others.  That is not obedience.  Obedience is obeying ALL God’s commands.

I was out walking today at a local university campus and passed a sign by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship that intrigued me.  It said:

• Born once – Die twice
• Born twice – Die once

That just about sums it up.  We have all been born once, but in Jesus we are reborn or born-again, therefore we will only die once.  Born twice – Die once.  Yes!!

If however, we do not accept what Jesus did for us on the cross and become born-again, we will die twice, once in our physical bodies and a second time at the final judgement.  Born once – Die twice.

I don’t know about you but I like the idea of only having to face physical death (the first death) and being able to spend eternity in the presence of God, thanks to what Jesus did for me on the cross.

So, do you know Him?  Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and confessed Him as Lord of your life?  If not, what are you waiting for?  He loves you.  He died to pay the penalty for your sins.  He lives forever more.  And He gives you FREE entrance into Heaven through His shed blood.  You can accept Him today.  Click here to learn more and to pray to receive Jesus.