Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 3 (day one)
“And WORD from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.”–v 1
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”–Matthew 4:4
“Behold a day is coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the WORDS of the Lord.”–Amos 8:11
“I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy.”–Acts 2:17
As we read 1 Samuel 3 this week, please consider what resource (offered help from God) we are presently living without. What assistance has He promised that we regard as optional? Even allowing the high cost that will need to be paid in order to seek His face, what do we stand to gain?
Isn’t a WORD from the Lord what we really need?
There are lots of voices that populate our lives on a daily basis, from all walks of life. I personally have not heard God’s voice to tell me something. I would be honored and feel blessed to be directed.
In my conversations with some folks, I heard that they saw God or Mary, Jesus’ mother, and that God called their names and tried to tell them something. I wonder if they overspiritualized it! How can we tell if the voice is truly God’s when the Word that proceeds from the mouth of God is rare? We read His Word but not hear His Word from His mouth! God has been silent! We only communicate to Him through prayers.
When the voice of God is rare, I would be scared and confused if I heard a voice during the night or during my sleep. I would think it was a dream or it was one of those days that I was under stress. I know God is present and works silently around us. Miracles happen everyday. Many lives were saved and transformed! But hearing directly from God is still unreal to me!
How do we know when God decides to let us see and hear from Him? In the time that God’s voice is rare, it is easy for us to miss hearing from Him if He decides to speak directly to us so we may need to pay more attention and to practice the skill of active listening and of discernment so we can surely differentiate between God’s speaking to us and those earthly voices that populate our lives on a daily basis.
We are in need to hear every WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God so we need to listen actively. Active listening is a critical communication skill. Maybe God will decide to appear at FBCSA and we all can bow and receive Him there.
This verse is well received, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”–Matthew 4:4
I found this, How to Know God’s Voice, a good read.
https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/january-2014/how-to-know-gods-voice/
Is it a wonderful spiritual experience if we can hear the Word coming out from God’s mouth in addition to reading His Word? God bless.