Someone recently asked me, “How do you know that it is the Lord speaking to you?” This is a question that is common to all Believers in Jesus Christ. To answer that question, let’s establish some fundamental truths.
Faith is the key
Everything that God provides through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit is received by faith! Faith is the key to the Kingdom of God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith doesn’t mean that it makes sense in the natural, but faith believes and trusts that what God says is true no matter the circumstances or conditions. It is always easy to have faith when all is going well in life; the real challenge is to have faith when there is chaos. Remember 2 Corinthians 2:7, “We walk by faith not by sight.” And don’t forget Hebrews 11:6, “But 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 diligently seek Him.”
Faith is not about feelings. Faith is about doing what God has said to you through the logos of the Bible or the Holy Spirit’s rhema word. Faith is about action, and sometimes that action means to “stand and wait.”
Faith Issues
To find God’s best for you, you have to have absolute faith in these seven things; that is, you believe and act on these truths no matter what your emotions or mind tells you.
- As a Born-again believer, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.
- You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
- Jesus ascended so that His Holy Spirit would descend into every believer. John 14: 15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
- Jesus promised that He would not leave us as orphans. John 14: 18, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
- God has a purpose and plan for your life. God’s purpose is called His destiny.
- He knows the thoughts and plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
- God will use His Holy Spirit to communicate His love and purpose for you.
- The mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Read all of 1 Corinthians 2)
- The Bible is inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.
- All scripture is inspired by God. 2Timothey 3: 16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- Everything that is available to Jesus is available to you.
- Greater things than this you will do in my name. John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
- The more time you spend in the Word of God, the more clearly the Holy Spirit will speak to you through the Scriptures.
- The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
- The Holy Spirit speaks both through the Logos of the Bible and the Rhema of the Bible.
- The more of the Word in you, the more you will hear from God.
The final step in our faith walk
If you believe these seven points of faith, then the only thing you need to do is OBEY! The greatest hindrance to hearing from God is not taking a step of faith, and doing whatever the Lord is prompting you to do or say. Remember, “small beginnings lead to great exploits.” Daniel 11:32b, “But the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.”
Being faithful in the little is the surest way to build the character needed to handle the greater, to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 19:17, “And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”
In the coming week, press into your relationship with God. Take the time to read the Word of God and think about what the Bible is saying to you. Take the time to be still and listen for “the quite voice of the Lord.” Once you believe you have heard something and it aligns with scriptures… do it!
Only as you continue to trust the Lord will your faith grow.