The Best BFF!
So who is your BFF? Lots of times we talk about God being our closest friend, but is He? In the last blog we talked about the importance of a close relationship with God when wanting to interact with Him. It's the only thing. Nothing else anyone says will matter without it. All the Christian "self-help" books in the world will gain you nothing without it. The quality of our relationship with God is truly the bedrock for everything else. That being said, if God does speak to His children, how is that accomplished?
Some of my favorite passages in scripture deal with God actually speaking to people in the both the Old and New Testaments. I mean a real audible voice. Honestly, it kind of makes me jealous. Can you imagine? Hearing God's voice this side of heaven? Wow. I don't know what I would do short of passing out. I understand why that doesn't seem to happen much now, though. I mean, if you could hear the audible voice of God, the faith part of this equation would be easy. Too easy. I believe God wants us to seek Him, to hold Him in high esteem, to be in awe of Him. And if He directly spoke to us regularly we might not do those things. I think we would begin to take Him for granted even more than we already do.
So what ways can we look to God to let us know His will if He doesn't speak to us audibly? Again, quoting the Blackaby study, God spoke to people in the Old Testament in the following ways:
One of the things I think we all do is become impatient waiting on God to give us direction ( okay, those of you who know me well need to stop pointing your finger at me when reading the word impatient.....). When we want answers from God, we usually want them yesterday. But guess what....NEWS FLASH!!!!!God's timing is completely different from ours. The last big answer I got from God was a solid YEAR in coming. Yup. A year. I normally would have given up, but this time I didn't. And I got my answer loud and clear. I wonder if He was waiting to see if I would give up and go my own direction AGAIN....????
Blackaby gives us some specific suggestions when looking for God's direction. Of course the relationship always comes first. Don't skip over or shortchange your relationship with God to start doing something for Him. The relationship ALWAYS gets priority. The only further directions are 1) pray and 2) wait. I would also add to continue to study the Word. It's all about God's timing, not ours. And, finally after 59 years, I have learned that His timing is always right. I have gotten myself in so much trouble trying to make the world conform to my timing. Just trust in His. It's perfect.
Next time, we will talk about the specific ways God might get the word to you. Until then, keep in touch with your BFF. Can't facebook Him, but he has an even better communication tool. It's a real antique, been around for a long time. Unlike most antiques though, this one still works. Everytime. Like clockwork. This BFF has instant communication down pat. The only BFF available 24/7. All you have to do is whisper His name, and He's there. Now , can any other BFF top that?
Some of my favorite passages in scripture deal with God actually speaking to people in the both the Old and New Testaments. I mean a real audible voice. Honestly, it kind of makes me jealous. Can you imagine? Hearing God's voice this side of heaven? Wow. I don't know what I would do short of passing out. I understand why that doesn't seem to happen much now, though. I mean, if you could hear the audible voice of God, the faith part of this equation would be easy. Too easy. I believe God wants us to seek Him, to hold Him in high esteem, to be in awe of Him. And if He directly spoke to us regularly we might not do those things. I think we would begin to take Him for granted even more than we already do.
So what ways can we look to God to let us know His will if He doesn't speak to us audibly? Again, quoting the Blackaby study, God spoke to people in the Old Testament in the following ways:
- Through angels (Gen. 16)
- Visions (Gen. 15)
- Dreams (Gen. 28:10-19)
- The use of the Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30)
- Symbolic actions (Jer. 18:1-10)
- A gentle whisper (I Kings 19:12)
- Miraculous signs (Exodus 8:20-25)
- Other ways
One of the things I think we all do is become impatient waiting on God to give us direction ( okay, those of you who know me well need to stop pointing your finger at me when reading the word impatient.....). When we want answers from God, we usually want them yesterday. But guess what....NEWS FLASH!!!!!God's timing is completely different from ours. The last big answer I got from God was a solid YEAR in coming. Yup. A year. I normally would have given up, but this time I didn't. And I got my answer loud and clear. I wonder if He was waiting to see if I would give up and go my own direction AGAIN....????
Blackaby gives us some specific suggestions when looking for God's direction. Of course the relationship always comes first. Don't skip over or shortchange your relationship with God to start doing something for Him. The relationship ALWAYS gets priority. The only further directions are 1) pray and 2) wait. I would also add to continue to study the Word. It's all about God's timing, not ours. And, finally after 59 years, I have learned that His timing is always right. I have gotten myself in so much trouble trying to make the world conform to my timing. Just trust in His. It's perfect.
Next time, we will talk about the specific ways God might get the word to you. Until then, keep in touch with your BFF. Can't facebook Him, but he has an even better communication tool. It's a real antique, been around for a long time. Unlike most antiques though, this one still works. Everytime. Like clockwork. This BFF has instant communication down pat. The only BFF available 24/7. All you have to do is whisper His name, and He's there. Now , can any other BFF top that?
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