The Hebrew word for wisdom means “the skill of living life.” That skill is learned by cultivating habits of the heart that heighten our sensitivity to hearing God’s voice, whether His words come to us generally in the form of universal wisdom or specifically in the form of personal revelation
C.S. Lewis once said that our greatest dignity as creatures is not in initiative but in response. God speaks, we hear. He knocks, we open. He sows the seed, we receive it.
God still speaks…
“Be to me a Rock of refuge, to which I may continually come…”
“My praise is continually of You…”
“My mouth is filled with Your praise, and with Your glory all the day…”
“But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more…”
“And my tongue will talk of Your righteous help all the day long…”
Psalm 71: 3,6,8,14,24 (ESV)
Growing in God-awareness is foundational to hearing God’s voice. The psalmist clearly pursued God all the day long. Praise and prayer were continually filling his heart and his mind. Try these practical ideas as you grow in your God-awareness and the discernment of hearing God’s voice throughout your day and your lifetime.
Each new day God is writing a story…your story! Each new day God is speaking to you. The question you need to ask yourself is, “Am I listening?” This small devotional, called “The 31-Day Adventure”, is designed to help you grow in your understanding of how God speaks. Four key words will help you build the foundation for discovering His voice:
Today lets dive a little deeper into the word soften…
Soften…
The journey of hearing God speak begins with the heart. The Bible uses the word picture of two different kinds of hearts. The first one is a heart that is soft (like flesh); the second is a heart that is hard (like stone).
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…
Psalm 95:7b-8a (NIV)
Jesus is the only One capable of changing our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, soft hearts. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ alone for the free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 1:12), we begin the journey of truly learning to live from the heart.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well-spring of life. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Living each day in this ever increasingly busy world can have a way of discouraging us, tiring us out; slowly, little by little, we can drift away from living the way Jesus intended us to live. This can have a hardening effect on our hearts. So we need to guard our hearts each and every day. But how?
What softens your heart? What hardens your heart? What if, for the next 31 days, you were intentional about pursuing a soft heart and avoided anything that would harden your heart?
Examples:
What could possibly soften a heart?
What could possibly harden a heart?
What softens your heart?
What hardens your heart?
"Soften my heart, center my thoughts, to hear your voice today..."
When God speaks, he does not give new revelation about himself that contradicts what he has already revealed in Scripture. Rather, God speaks to give application of his Word to the specific circumstances in your life. When God speaks to you, he is not writing a new book of Scripture, rather, he is applying to your life what he has already said in his Word. Throughout the Bible, whenever God spoke to someone, that person’s life was never the same again. The same is true today. Our prayer is that as you listen to what God is saying to you, you will respond in love and obedience and your life will be transformed as well.
Hearing God- Henry and Richard Blackaby
“There is no better way you can be ready to follow God’s voice than to cultivate your heart.” Henry Blackaby
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalm 32: 8-11 (ESV)
A new day awaits you! Draw strength from the promise that God will
Instruct you…
Teach you…
Counsel you…
His eye is upon you, His steadfast love surrounds you. Remind yourself often of this reality throughout your day. He desires to use you! Continue to pursue a heart that is Soft, one that is open to His promptings and leadings. Center your thoughts on these amazing truths. Listen for the whisper of the One who surrounds you with His steadfast love. And Respond!
The journey continues…
“Soften my heart Lord…
Center my thoughts on You today…
May I Listen and Respond in love…”
Thanks for all of the friends that have started the “31-Day Adventure”!
I love to think of each new day as a gift…
A gift to slowly unwrap…
A new day to hear His voice…
A new day to simply follow…
Thanks again and please feel free to post a blog or drop me a note. I would love to hear about any fresh, new stories of God at work in your life!
Kirk
Soften… Center… Listen… Respond…
God Still Speaks…
Wow, where does one begin? The topic of God speaking to us is so vast and mysterious much like the universe… Lets begin there. Simply look up on a star filled night and allow your heart to be filled with awe and wonder.
“God, do you still speak? How? Show me…”
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where there voice is not heard. (Psalm 19:1-3)