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I don't know about you, but sometimes the competition in my mind for the voice to be heard and followed is great!
At times, it seems overwhelming at the competition that is going on inside my mind for my attention!
There are many who are clanging symbols to be heard, perhaps your boss wants you to achieve an impossible amount of tasks in a day; or it's yourself holding an insurmountable list of to-do's that seems to never end; or your spouse, kids, or friends who are all vying for your attention and love; and don't forget the most sinister voice in your mind who loves to attack the very core of who you are, feeding you lie after lie about how incompetent you are, your not good enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, yadda, yadda, yadda!; and then, the most important voice we need to listen to and hear is a still small voice, a whisper - God!
How do we decipher through the megaphone of voices screaming for our attention and hear the one that matters most of all? Sometimes the voices get deafening and depending on which voice we choose to follow that day, it can make or break our day. How do we attune our ears to hear the One who matters most? God?
In my devotion today, one of the YouVersion Bible Plans, The Voices, and The Choices, answers that question for us. The author, Roxanne Parks, states that there are four voices and their wills, that vie for our attention and to get us to follow their will. They are:
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God, the Father - the one who formed us in our mother's wombs before we were born, the one who designed us for a purpose to fulfill His plan of salvation for the world, the one who intimately knows us - our thoughts, our words, our dreams, our trials and struggles, our success and our failures - there isn't anything He does not know about us! "He is knocking at the door of our heart always as He longs to speak to us." -- Roxanne Parks.
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The enemy, Satan - he is a thief who has come to confuse, accuse and destroy our lives! He is crafty and will use subtle little lies to attack our identity and the purpose God has given us. "He seeks death over life and has purposed to destroy all that is good and right." --Roxanne Parks. He will call into question the Truth God has told us about ourselves, with "Did God really say", yep, he knows Scripture and twists and distorts it to get us to believe his subtle little lies! He is crafty and sneaky. We must beware of him. But how? Do we focus on his lies? NO! Focus on the Truth of God's Word as Jesus did and counter his lies with the Truth and he loses power over us. As we focus on God's Word, the lies of the enemy are more easily exposed!
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Our Will and Voice - this one can be a tough one for us to discern! I know I have been so good at convincing myself that God was leading me to do something when in fact, it was my choice to do what seemed right in my own eyes! Pretty sure once I start talking about what I want to do and sharing it with friends, the enemy is right there waiting to capitalize on those things and see where he can influence me to believe a lie and do my own thing! This is why it is so important for us to renew our minds daily - for me, it is moment by moment at times! This is why I must listen for that still small voice within me to lead me and direct me! Just this week, the Holy Spirit warned me to not fall prey to scammers wanting to buy a bed I was selling, the conversation seemed legit until it came to payment! I CLEARLY heard that still small voice say "Don't Do It"! Thankfully, I listened and obeyed and did not get scammed out of money!
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The Voice of Others - I think this one is equally as dangerous! Sometimes, even well-meaning Christians, if they are not seeking what God says about something and listening to their own voice and "wisdom", they can mislead and misguide us into making wrong choices. The best place to turn for guidance is the Bible and Prayer! That way, we know we are getting the right advice and guidance! However, that is easier said than done sometimes! I know for myself, I am a verbal processor and I need to hear myself talk through situations or choices, and when I verbalize those thoughts to others instead of God, that opens the door for the enemy to come in and confuse me or mislead me. Sometimes even through the advice of friends! That is why it is so important to filter anything we hear from others through the Word of God! Even what I write, should be filtered through the Word of God and anything worth keeping should be kept and anything that is trash should be discarded. I have learned this the hard way unfortunately and it has cost me dearly as well as others around me.
I can't emphasize how important it is to go to God first in His Word and in Prayer! We must be aware there are many voices and wills vying for our attention and submission! Jesus is the One who knows us so well, in fact, He already knows our needs BEFORE we pray and has already begun to answer - BUT, we must ASK!
When you face those times when you don't know what to do, have decisions that need to be made, or are confused - Go to the Word of God, seek answers to your questions, and read His Word daily so it gets absorbed into your heart and mind! Ask Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all wisdom as that is His job after all! Let Him do His job!
After you have gone to God through His Word and prayer, listen for His still small voice, He will make it clear. If you need confirmation, then have a few trusted and tried Christians who you know put God first in their lives and ask them for confirmation of what God has told you. No need to give detailed information, just enough to respond to you as Holy Spirit leads them. This will help us all weed out the voices in our heads and follow God's will and purpose for our lives!
He is a good, good Father and will not lead us astray or give us something not for our good! Trust Him and follow His lead - He knows what He is doing! You can Trust He has your best interest in mind! As you spend time daily in His Word and in prayer, you will hear his voice more clearly! Listen intently to the whisper!