Listen
by David Brenneman
Life Principle 22: To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
To whom do you turn for daily guidance on how to live or what decisions to make?
Scripture tells us the only Guide worth trusting is the Holy Spirit. He’s the One who knows our pasts completely and our futures, from this day to eternity. He knows God’s plan and purpose for each of us, and He knows what’s good and right for us.
Jesus repeatedly referred to the Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” and told us, “He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13). It’s the Spirit of truth that’s always pointing us toward what Jesus would be, say, or do in any given moment.
God wants us to know what to do and when to do it, and we can truly trust His Spirit to be our Guide. But there are conditions placed upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
First, we must stay yielded to the Spirit. We must say yes when He prompts us to take certain action or speak a certain word. We must give mental assent to the Spirit’s direction and then actually obey His prompting, following through with what He’s called us to do.
Second, we must believe His guidance. We’re much more likely to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say if we’re actively listening for Him to speak. We’re much more likely to see the Holy Spirit’s direction if we’re looking for Him. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God is a “rewarder of those who seek Him.” We’re to be diligent in seeking His guidance, asking for it, watching for it, anticipating it, and receiving it.
The Holy Spirit has come to reveal the truth to us. He has come in His all-knowing ability to impart what we need to know in order to live obedient and faithful lives. Trust Him to guide you, now and always.
- Life Principles Devotional on the Bible app.
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6.
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." John 16:13.
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:5-8.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:7-11.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13.
There's a lot of Scripture that can cover what it means to listen and then do. A lot more than I can probably share in this post today.
When presented with something that's significant in your life, leaping before knowing is never a good option. You may not know things and the end result would be worse than it could have been.
So ask of God, as the Bible says, and He'll make things known that you didn't know if you but listen first.
God doesn't mind our asking questions to clarify. Asking questions to avoid doing is probably another matter for another time.
The initial devotional by Dr. Stanley had the following two passages included for reference. The rest are what I was lead to add to it this morning. Listening to the Spirit.
Yesterday I had reason to ask of God and wait for an answer because I wasn't sure of what course of action to take. I believe that what I heard and what I did was the right course of action by the end of the day.
That passage of trusting in the Lord with all your heart also means not laying that trust anywhere else.
Listening to the Spirit is what put this blog out there for the world to read. 6 and half plus years ago was the prompting to start writing and sending it out. God provided the words to be said and it was upon me to say them. He provided the means for it to get out to the world in a place where it could be and would be easily found. 1.6 million views later the proof is in the pudding with listening and obeying.
What is also part of that story is a time way back in the end of the 1990's when I didn't listen first and did not ask first before treading on the scorpions to come. I was not ready for what was to come and my life went into a tailspin of deeper and deeper troubles. Making choices that, if it weren't for the hand of God in my life, would have ended my life.
Listening to the Spirit should be our first place to go. Ananias, when told to go to where the notorious Saul was staying, had questions. He wasn't rebuked for the questions. His questions were entirely valid. He needed to know for sure that what he was being told to do lined up with his life in Christ.
The rest is history because of his obedience...and his asking...and listening to the promptings of the Spirit of God.
Life is going to have both major and minor forks in the road. It's going to have times when being assertive matters and times when it won't matter. But life is never about us going through life alone when we're saved in Christ Jesus.
It will be very very interesting how the lives of Job's friends changed after their encounter with the preincarnate Christ. The youngest friend of Job's life certainly seems to have been on the right track but still I imagine his was enriched for being there...and why couldn't it have been?
Listening before speaking is always good. Listening before doing can be as well. There's times when the situation warrants leaping into action and others when it's more prudent to look things over first.
The part of the story of Mary and Martha that's the ear catcher is the truth that Jesus said that Martha chose the better part....to listen to Jesus and it would not be taken from her.
Many in our lives can have the best of intentions and maybe they're right in the long run. Job's friends certainly had the best of intentions. Job's Wife certainly thought that her intentions were right. Her life too was changed considerably by what her husband went through and she had a hand in his being so prosperous after all was done.
The Scriptures tell us this truth:
"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalms 139:1-24.
Scripture also tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:5.
It's very very easy to lean on my own understanding. When you have a mind that seems to have been hardwired for troubleshooting, figuring things out is your hobby, why wouldn't you?
The why comes because we are yet still learning what it means to be fully devoted followers of Christ.
The why comes because our obedience and seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness is something we yet need to learn.
The Disciples had to learn it and they learned from listening first. We have a few examples of when Peter spoke without thinking about what was said.
Listen. First.
In my situation yesterday I was presented with something to do and it, to me, was very significant.
I sought out what God would have me do. Immediately it came to mind to ask one who would know better than I ever could for they were in a far better position to know than I ever would. They too sought to know so they too asked of God for wisdom on how to respond...the same as I was doing. Several hours later they made mention of what they believe the Spirit was telling them to say to me after they had prayed about it.
Listen first...and if there's something for us to do...then obey in doing with all our being. Colossians 3:23-24.
When Peter was restored by Jesus after the resurrection...Peter had a lot of listening to do in order to come to that place he needed to be which was where the Lord was taking him. Where would the church of God be if he had not?
Paul had a lot of listening to do in those days when his sight was taken from him. Jesus had a very much attentive Paul in his mind and heart that was now ready to listen. Paul, then known as Saul thought he knew it all from his having been taught by the best. That is until Jesus showed him that wasn't the case.
Listen then obey. Our lives will be so much the better, the Church will do far more than ever thought possible if we but do that.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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