God’s Mysterious Ways—Part 2
How do we discern God’s Mysterious Ways? How do we know it’s Him, and not our own thought? @donnalhsmith #GodsMysteriousWays #SaySomethingEternal #GodsCallOnMyLife
God usually talks to my spirit. I “hear” words go through my mind. Some might call that an “impression” — but to me, it’s more like hearing with an inner ear — not audibly, in the natural, but in my mind. It’s not “hearing voices” — but it’s hearing “The Voice” — the One my heart knows.
Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” By reason of “use,” in other words, the more we begin to recognize that still, small voice in our hearts, the more we know it’s the voice of our Savior.
For me, it’s an inner whisper. The voice of God in my heart never condemns me but will correct me. He always gives hope for change. His voice encourages me to push past hindrances.
Remember, up until a few months ago, I also heard the voice of the enemy inside me. He still tries to plant discouraging thoughts about me … attacking my identity, telling me “You’ll never …” His voice is condemning, without hope for change. The enemy’s voice is also disheartening, trying to put hindrance by saying, “You can’t …”
God however, says, “You can.” I once had a dream about that. I was standing under a beautiful tree in the fall, and as leaves fell off the tree, I looked down and saw tin cans with quilt labels on them. At the time I had this dream, I was part of a dream interpretation community. The interpretation, which witnessed with my spirit, was that symbolically, God was saying “You can.” At the right time, you can.
Now is my time! It was first declared over me five years ago — when my life felt like it was going nowhere. I guess I always had a certain idea of what “My time” would like. To me, it would mean that I’d found God’s ultimate plan and purpose for my life and I was living it out.
It wasn’t until last year that I actually began to feel it had begun. We don’t “arrive.” Because the apostle Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” We “arrive” at the end of our race of life. That’s what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12, verse 1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us …”
If you’ve ever been to any kind of sports event like a race, there’s always the starting gun, so to speak. In my case, I feel my “beginning shot” started at the end of 2016, and into 2017. I was tested. I believe I’ve talked about that here.
Then … 2018 began. Last year was one of the best I’ve ever had! Amazing year! Opportunities knocked, and I stepped into them.
And now this, year, even though different, is still one astounding year! And it’s not over yet!
What about you? What’s God showing you this year? How mysterious are His ways in your life? Leave a comment and let me know. @donnalhsmith #GodsMysteriousWays #SaySomethingEternal #GodsCallOnMyLife Next week: What a “Nudge” Really Means in Part 3.
Donna L.H. Smith 