Peter Lord, a young pastor of a thriving Florida church, was certain God wanted him to move with his young family to New Orleans to go to theological seminary.
The deacons in his church tried to discourage him. They pointed out that the church was going through a revival and he had no savings, no job and a young family to care for. He would have to find a job in New Orleans to pay his way through seminary.
But he and his wife were convinced that, after months of prayer, God was directing Lord to attend seminary. So, filled with faith, he left for New Orleans to find a job and a place to stay for his family.
Decades later, Lord described in his book Hearing God what happened the day he arrived in New Orleans. He landed a job, registered for school, and found a place to live.
He telephoned his wife and she told him that a church from Mississippi had called to say they wanted him as pastor. What a day!
In his book, Lord says that "when God speaks, you have faith".
"It's a faith you cannot explain to others. It's just there. As long as you reflect on [God's] words, the faith remains."
Lord used this example as an illustration of how the results of our conversations with God are vital to understanding what God wants in our lives. Faith is one of the results.
As I mentioned in a blog post "Two voices" a few weeks ago, Lord notes that it is often hard to sort out what God wants amid the thoughts that whirl through our minds.
He points out that Satan is trying to discourage us by pointing out our unworthiness or exploiting our weaknesses. But God's voice is loving and encouraging. When the Holy Spirit points out sins, God also extends mercy when he turn back to him.
Of course, whatever we feel God saying must be checked with the scriptures - God's written words. It is the Spirit who applies God's words to our particular situations.
Lord lists several things that can confirm God's direction for our lives:
The deacons in his church tried to discourage him. They pointed out that the church was going through a revival and he had no savings, no job and a young family to care for. He would have to find a job in New Orleans to pay his way through seminary.
But he and his wife were convinced that, after months of prayer, God was directing Lord to attend seminary. So, filled with faith, he left for New Orleans to find a job and a place to stay for his family.
Decades later, Lord described in his book Hearing God what happened the day he arrived in New Orleans. He landed a job, registered for school, and found a place to live.
He telephoned his wife and she told him that a church from Mississippi had called to say they wanted him as pastor. What a day!
In his book, Lord says that "when God speaks, you have faith".
"It's a faith you cannot explain to others. It's just there. As long as you reflect on [God's] words, the faith remains."
Lord used this example as an illustration of how the results of our conversations with God are vital to understanding what God wants in our lives. Faith is one of the results.
As I mentioned in a blog post "Two voices" a few weeks ago, Lord notes that it is often hard to sort out what God wants amid the thoughts that whirl through our minds.
He points out that Satan is trying to discourage us by pointing out our unworthiness or exploiting our weaknesses. But God's voice is loving and encouraging. When the Holy Spirit points out sins, God also extends mercy when he turn back to him.
Of course, whatever we feel God saying must be checked with the scriptures - God's written words. It is the Spirit who applies God's words to our particular situations.
Lord lists several things that can confirm God's direction for our lives:
- God's voice brings peace: There is an internal peace that surpasses understanding;
- God's voice brings sympathetic understanding: We can deal with difficult people with understanding and sympathy;
- God's voice brings hope: Hope is confidence in God even when the times are tough;
- God's voice creates and sustains faith: When we hear from God, faith rises in our hearts - we believe; and
- God's voice produces gratitude: We are filled with gratitude and praise to our God for what he has done and is doing.
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