And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” 1 Samuel 3:9.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Most people love displaying what they think but very few people are good listeners. But the reason many people are not listening is because there are so many conflicting voices trying to get your ear.
If you want to walk with Me on the narrow road that leads to abundant life, starting now, you must learn how to listen and you must learn how to hear Me. You must be alert to the tactics of the devil and avoid being led in wrong ways by the voice of a stranger. When I told Solomon he could ask whatever he wished and I would give it to him, he asked for a heart that hears. And you call that asking for wisdom. And you are right.
Hearing from Me is wisdom. That is an excellent definition of wisdom.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6.
All wisdom comes from Me, and hidden deep in Jesus, My precious gift to each one of you, you will find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Why? He is My Word.
You will always come back to My Word because that is the way I work and that is who I am.
To go the narrow way, then, you will have to be able to discern what I am saying to you. You have to listen. But how do you know it is a direction from Me and not from the world, the flesh, or the devil?
I will hear what God the LORD will say; for He will speak peace (shalom, wholeness) to His people. Psalm 85:8.
Here is one key. My Word will not bring anxiety, stress, pain, fear, division, shame, or confusion. It will make you whole—it will heal you, bless you, and bring peace to a troubled heart. My Word will come to solve and resolve. This could be correction and direction but I do not crush a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. I raise up and strengthen the reed and I fan the wick into flame.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.
My Word is the dividing line. When you hear something in your mind, if it is from Me you will be able to find two or three witnesses in My Word that support it. By witnesses I mean Scriptures that back up what you heard to do or say. If what you hear within is contrary to the Scriptures then that is a good indication it is not from Me.
But be aware that the devil is a scam artist, and he is pushy, and he will try to push you into doing unwise things by joining them up to a Scripture out of context, or by causing you to fear. He did this with Jesus when he told Jesus to jump off the parapet of the temple because Psalm 91 said the angels would bear you up so you did not strike you foot against a stone. But Jesus had an answer, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.” Because that was all that the devil’s dare was for, it was to try to make Jesus do something foolish to see if I would keep My Word, but My Word was not for doing crazy, unnecessary things, but to protect you in true danger, not false danger that you manufacture to test Me.
Also, if you are looking where to tithe and give offerings, test it by My Word.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the LORD of hosts. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:10-12.
First, it should be a place that preaches and teaches My Word, that is, a place that feeds My sheep and My lambs. Remember when Peter was to lead the Church, I told him to feed My sheep and My lambs. And what do you live on? Not bread alone but every Word that proceeds from My mouth. Second, it is to be My house, in other words a place where the believers can gather together as My Church on earth and encourage and admonish one another to good works and worship and pray together, as you read the early community of believers was doing in Jerusalem. Their prayers got Peter out of prison by the work of one angel. And finally your sowing tithes and offerings should be causing a major increase of blessing in your life if you are sowing into fertile ground. If you are not having these three things you need to check out to whom and to what you are tithing and giving offerings.
But I will now tell you the real test of knowing you have heard from Me. My Word is prophetic. That is why people call those who hear My voice and share the message with others “prophets.”
So we have the prophetic Word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:19-21.
And by prophetic I do not necessarily mean about something happening in the future, though it could be, like when the people of Judah and the king, Jehoshaphat, prayed for protection and victory and the prophet stood up and gave the a word of wisdom that I would fight the battle for them but also encouraged with the good result and the means to get it, they had to go out and face the enemy, which they then did with joy.
But I am talking about prophecy in its true definition, for I want all of you to be prophets so you know it is available to you. One who prophesies speaks to people for edification and exhortation and encouragement (consolation). But that is the way I speak to you as well. And that is how you will discern My voice, i.e., does what you are hearing in your mind and heart edify you, exhort you, and encourage and comfort you?
Edify means to build up and not tear down. To go to higher and better levels of being, not to retreat to lower levels of being. Not going back to slavery but rising up and shaking off the shackles and the dust. If what is coming into your mind causes you to cringe in fear and long to withdraw from the world, it is NOT from Me. I did not give you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
Exhort means to urge you to do good, live godly, and speak purely with power. It encompasses loving correction and appropriate discipline. It is a good way to keep you on the narrow path to life. It means to catch evil the minute it begins to get even a toehold in you and cast it out.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Encourage means to be the cheerleader for yourself or another. It fills you with courage to go forward, not in retreat or fear of defeat but to press on to victory! It is just the right word for the weary to rouse them and it comes from having the ear of a disciple to hear what I want you to speak into another’s life just when they need it. But it is also a Word from Me particularly to you when your soul needs strengthening. Such as I did for Elijah when he ran from Jezebel and gave up after a great show of might and power at his word.
My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me. A stranger’s voice they will not heed. If you want to hear from Me and want to obey Me you will hear from Me, for if you will draw close to Me, then I can draw close to you, and we can talk. Revelation 3:20.
I lead you by the Holy Spirit—the inner witness, the still small voice of your spirit, the voice of the Holy Spirit, prophecy as a confirmation of My Word to you, spiritual visions, dreams, and open visions. When you have a question that needs an answer, a problem that needs a solution, or a direction of where to go, you need to step apart with Me, be quiet, and pray with your understanding and in tongues. And as you pray in the secret place, you must listen as you pray, and as you do, as you draw close, I will draw you to a Scripture that I will illumine to you. And you will have a knowing that there is your answer.
I may speak to your spirit and then your spirit will put the Words in your soul and your inner voice will say it within to you. The Holy Spirit may speak directly to your soul and you will hear His voice, which is actually Mine and that of Jesus but we commune and fellowship with you by the Holy Spirit who dwells in your spirit, well, actually He is within your spirit opening access to Heaven and the Holy of Holies to you from within, close as your heart but vast as the universe and beyond for the spirit realm has no limits in time or space.
But many people are not attuned to My Spirit because they live in the outer court, so to speak, of the flesh and the five senses, and have dulled themselves to spiritual things by continually listening and watching things without instead of within. Most people pray outward prayers in that they are not sure I am there and they just beg for something they want and do not listen at all. They really don’t expect a conversation or illumination and consequently they are not open to receive. They do all the talking and don’t expect any input in return. They just want a physical sign to show up.
And they spend most of their time on Facebook or social media, even first thing when they wake up, or looking at their texts or emails, watching the morning news, looking at newspapers and magazines and then wondering why they don’t hear from Me when they hear someone tell them something I said to that person.
But you can hear from Me. All the time. 24/7. But like with anyone you want to be intimate with, you need to make some time to learn My voice. I know yours already. If you really want to go deeper with Me it will mean that you will have to prepare your heart and renew your mind. But I will help you.
Once you turn to Me, you can sit down with Me and I will walk you through the rest with the good Shepherd, My glorious Son, and My Holy Spirit as guide. I have everything working together for your good, you just have to find that out and everything in your life will change in a most marvelous way. I have called you out of darkness into My own marvelous light. And My Son has released you from your sins by His Blood and made you into a kingdom of priests. You now have the anointing that only priests, prophets, and kings had in the Old Covenant, and you have MUCH MORE, for the anointing is not only on you but in you always and forever.
So how do you know when you are hearing from Me and not just yourself? Or even the devil, for he has a voice too. You can recognize his by the fear, condemnation, depression, anger and torment his thoughts bring. Mine bring conviction, love, sweetness, encouragement, exhortation, comfort, correction and direction in an upward path. Mine bring a future and a hope.
And what I tell you ALWAYS lines up with My Word. But if you don’t know My Word you cannot discern.
So let Me take you to Isaiah 55 and give you some direction. The passage at line 6 begins: “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” When you seek Me you will find Me right there with you, and when you call to Me, I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things you could not know. Jeremiah 29:11-13; Jeremiah 33:3. And now in the next line, line 7 of Isaiah 55, I tell you how to begin to hear Me and share My thoughts: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him turn (shuv in Hebrew which is repent, change your mind, make a turnaround from where you are headed, have a change of mind from his idle and tormenting thoughts to My thoughts) to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” So it all begins here, this is the first step to a higher life: seek Me, turn to Me, and repent (renew your mind). It begins with a quality decision to stop thinking just your own thoughts, especially those that are tormenting, abusing and depressing you in a prison of doubt, lust and unbelief, and come to Me to learn for I am meek and humble of heart and My yoke is easy and My burden light.
So once you have made this decision, how do you carry it out? Read on to line 8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” So how do you get them? I have sent them down to you, as close as your heart and your mouth by My Holy Spirit. So read on and see, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
Think about seed time and harvest. Before you can plant seed you have to prepare the ground if you want the seed to take root, grow and produce a harvest. Psalm 65 gives you the idea: “for thus You prepare the earth, You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip with fatness (the anointing). Psalm 65:9-11. The soil of many of your hearts has become hard and stony ground where My Word cannot plant. It has been hardened by doubt, unbelief, lust, fear, greed, selfishness, anger, offense, bitterness, fear, anxiety, and many other such deadly emotions that you are allowing free reign in your minds which were only made for and with Love. My servant James wrote about this: “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21. You must soften and break up the clods of the hard soil, you must let Me wash you with the pure water of My Word that will soften and sensitize the soil of your heart, as My Word takes out your heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh (being born again a new creation in Christ Jesus (who is My Word), not of corruptible seed but of imperishable seed, My living active Word. Ezekiel 36:25-27.
So, “for just as the rain and snow come down from Heaven,” I send the living water of My Word down to you by My Spirit, and I does not return to Heaven without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout,” the water of My Word prepares your heart and softens and sensitizes it. The more you hear, read, meditate upon and speak My Word the more sensitive your heart will become to My voice and will begin to light up with illumination as you have a knowing that Word is for your healing, your deliverance, or your peace. Soon the weeds of wrong thoughts will be pulled out at the very roots, flushed out by the water of the Word. And the early rain will prepare the soil as you meditate upon My Word and that Word will give seed to you that you plant in your heart and the hearts of others and that you sow into ministries and kingdom work, and as you continue to read, hear, speak and ponder upon My Word—the latter rain—your seed will grow and produce an abundant harvest—bread for the eater and more seed for the sower. And My Word will be your daily bread as you feed upon fresh revelation and the sharing of My thoughts each day.
And the more you hear My Word the more faith you will have. And the more faith that you have the more amazing your life will become. And the more you speak My Word, the promises in those Words will come to pass in your life. My Words will not be returned by you void but will achieve the purpose that is contained in them, such as healing, prosperity, wisdom, and all My many magnificent promises, which are all “yes” to you in Christ Jesus.
And My Word will always work if you just keep standing on it and refuse to give in to doubt and unbelief. And how do you stay strong as the harvest grows before you see it manifest? I tell you that in the next line: “For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace.” Isaiah 55:12. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit. The early Christian community could not but be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. And He leads you in peace. Perfect peace have those who keep their minds fixed on Me, on My thoughts and no other that would pull up the seed of their miracle. As Isaiah put it earlier, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation . . . praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things!” Isaiah 12:2-5. Sing O barren one, and then enlarge your tents for all your children will come running to you. Isaiah 54:1.
I love you. Be strong and courageous I am with you wherever you go. Just stay aware and be able to be led to the right places at the right time by being sensitive to My Spirit and the inner witness and the still small voice. For all those who are led by My Spirit, they are My children. Romans 8:14.