Hearing God's voice and acing upon it. Video reflection.

I work with a wonderful Christian man, Graham Power, he is the business guy who started the Global Day of Prayer after watching the George Otis 'Transformation' video at a Bible study I used to lead back in the day (1999). Just as an aside we've just finished writing the story of the Global Day of Prayer (Diane Vermooten wrote the text and I edited it - it is due to be published by Strang Publishers in the USA and will be on the shelves in March 2009).

However, one of the things that struck me as I read the book again (it had to be sent to the publishers this morning so I spent a few hours working through it last night) was Graham's incredible obedience and courage! Here's a businessman (not a pastor) who has only been a Christian for less than a year when he hears God telling him to call together 45 000 people for a day of prayer and repentance for the City of Cape Town. And, he does it!

I once asked God (while I was shaving!) "Why don't you speak to me like you speak to Graham". On that morning God spoke to me very clearly. I heard God saying "I don't give you instructions like I give to Graham because your probably wouldn't listen!" Yikes! It is true! Not only do I lack courage, but I also get so twisted that I sometimes struggle to hear God's voice.

Well, here's a little reflection that I recorded this morning about hearing God's voice... Nothing profound, just a few thoughts that came from my quiet time this morning on 1 Kings 18:41- 46 (for those who read the Upper Room daily devotional you'll recognize the reading).

What do you think? Can one hear God's voice in the ordinary things? AND, how do you guard against hearing the wrong things?

I would appreciate your feedback and thoughts!

Comments

[Herman G]

Thanks Dion for the message. The message I often get and that I have been stuck dwelling on in scripture for a few days has been Phil 2:13 God Himself willing and doing in us that which gives him the most pleasure. Indeed the message to our hearing comes from within in what he wills and does through us. That which is to His pleasure and Glory! The words below come to us through Paul from Jesus Himself.
The Reading
Phi 2:11-15 Call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. Do everything readily and cheerfully--no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night

[Simon G]

In 1 Kings 18, God promises rain in verse 1, the rain is coming, come what may, and arrives in verse 45. In between we have various committee meetings and discussions, yes even the prophets of Baal were Methodists. It all gets a bit heated but in the end God's will is done.

Listen for God, obey him and keep plugging away at it, avoid the Obadiah's trying to delay you. Even if you get sidetracked into the odd competitive bull burning, keep focused.

His will - will be done.

Someone said to me the other week Never treat God's normal as abnormal - Elijah did just that in the spectacular and the apparently inconsequential.

[Mark]

Here is an example from my experience with hearing God:

Hugh and I had briefly worked together in San Francisco on a four month project for a large computer company. He liked my work and asked me to fly in from Dallas, where I was living at the time, to do some more work for him in London for a week or two. I eagerly accepted, who wouldn’t want a trip to London, England?

In the office in London I was quietly sitting next to a Hugh, minding my own business, when that small internal voice from God impressed upon my mind that Hugh was sick.

So I started reasoning with God in my mind: “So what if he is sick?”
But then I asked the question that was to set in motion a whole chain of events, “God if you are telling me that Hugh is sick then why did you tell me and what should I do about it?”
God responded instantly, “Tell him”.
“I can’t do that”, I replied.
“Yes you can”, replied God.
“I can’t do that”, I replied.
“Yes you can”, replied God.
So in the end I gave in and called Hugh aside into a deserted hallway to ask him if he was sick. I had no idea what the response would be and didn’t want anyone else around to hear what I had to say.

“Are you sick?” I asked Hugh.
“No” he calmly replied.
“Are you sure?” I responded.
By this time my heart had sunk and I was trying to redeem the situation.
“Do you have a cold?” I asked him.
“No” he replied quizzically.
“Are you sure?” I responded.
“Yes, why?” he replied.
I then proceeded to tell him outright that God had told me that he was sick. He gave me this “you must be crazy” look and told me that he didn’t believe in God.

I asked him if he would go with me to the cafeteria and there we had an open talk about Christianity for about 30 minutes. He left stating that he still didn’t believe in God. I flew home thinking that I had now gone crazy for sure, was hearing voices, and I certainly couldn’t expect any more work from that company.

Unsurprisingly I heard nothing more from Hugh for the next nine months. Suddenly and unexpectedly I got a phone call from a secretary of his in California. Hugh was dead – he had died suddenly from pancreatic cancer. They had found my name and phone number in his diary and were calling me to let me know just in case I was close to him.

I hope that as his last days approached Hugh remembered what I had told him in London and that he had come to believe in Jesus and to gain eternal life through that. But as much as I hope that, I must confess that I just don’t know what happened in the final days of Hugh’s life. What I do know now is that this is no game - the consequences are eternal.

For more on this topic see http://www.godandemail.com