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It takes giving up our own ideas and desires to hear God’s voice clearly. Nathan the prophet was faced with that challenge.

Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 2Samuel 7:1-5

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.2Samuel 7:12-13

Now that King David had peace all around him, he desired to build a temple for the Lord. Nathan, the prophet, encouraged him and told David that God was with him for what was in David’s heart. However, Nathan had not checked in with the Lord to hear His will about this situation.

King David’s desire was noble and honorable. God had not had a temple up to this point in history. His presence was in the Ark of the Covenant, which moved as Israelites moved from place to place. Now that the Israelites were settled in their land and enjoyed peace, it seemed appropriate to build a temple for the Lord. 

Just because something is good or spiritual, it does not mean the Lord has led it.  Some people are involved in spiritual or non-spiritual activities in the name of God, but God has never endorsed their actions. We cannot rely on our logic, desires, or circumstances to determine whether God is in it or not.

Furthermore, Nathan was led by his affection and honor for the king rather than being led by the Spirit of the Lord. Nathan had not heard the voice of the Lord yet, but only the voice of his emotions. God intervened and corrected him. He told Nathan that king David was not going to build the temple for him. Nathan had to be willing to hear God’s voice above his own emotions and be humble enough to correct his mistake.

When you or your loved ones embark on something that seems good or spiritual, are you willing to slow down to hear His voice? Would you be willing to change directions if God’s voice leads you the opposite of your desires? 

The scripture tells us that Moses was a very humble man. He frequently inquired of the Lord and heard God’s voice and direction.

So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”  And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:4-6

The Israelites were angry about not having water, so Moses cried out to God. The Lord gave him instruction to strike the rock and that water would come out for the people. Moses did exactly as God had instructed him. 

Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! Numbers 5: 2-3

Fourteen years later, the Israelites were faced with water shortage again, and their response was the same as last time. The people were angry again at Moses, and they complained about not having water.  Isn’t it sad that regardless of God’s provision in the past, we can be quick to complain? Complaining shuts down our faith, and it does not allow us to remember God’s faithfulness in the past. The Israelites did not make much progress in their faith because they didn’t build their faith based on their past experiences with God. Every time they were faced with a challenge, they resorted to their child-like tempter tantrums.

So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”  So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”  Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 5:6-12

This time the Lord spoke to Moses and told him to speak to the Rock. However, Moses was angry at the people, and he chose to hit the rock instead. This was not God’s voice or direction, but this was motivated by Moses’ anger towards the people. Consequently, he disobeyed the Lord. God was very displeased with Moses.  He was God’s leader before the people, and he represented the image of God. Moses showed unbelief by not following through with God’s instruction. He misrepresented the Lord before the people.

Sometimes, we are prone to misrepresent the Lord to others in the manner we act. Our actions may not have anything to do with God’s voice or his direction, and this leaves a distaste in other people’s mouth about the image of God. Currently, I am challenged, as a parent, to make decisions that are in line with God’s voice rather than relying on my comfort level or succumbing to fears. 

Are you able to hear God’s voice when you are fearful, angry, or frustrated? As a leader in your home, church, or work are you able to be led by the voice of God and represent Him well?

As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.  So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “What have you done?”

Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,  then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”

 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.1 Samuel 13:7-13

The prophet Samuel had specifically told Saul that he would return and would offer the burnt offerings. However, Samuel delayed, and Saul became frightened. Saul succumbed to the voice of his fears and the voices of pressure by his people. He perceived that the burnt offering was more important than obeying the voice of God. God had established a separation of church and state by giving specific responsibilities to the king and to the priest.  The king was to fight in wars and the priest was to intercede before God on behalf of the nation.

It was Samuel’s responsibility to offer the burnt offerings. On the other hand, Saul was the king, and he had no business crossing the boundary line and offering burnt offerings. The power was not in burnt offering but in obedience to the voice of God. Saul knew that God required burnt offering, but he ignored the fact that God required it from Samuel not Saul.

Actions and activities do not have power on their own. What gives them power  is when they are done according to God’s leading and His voice. If we focus on certain actions apart from God’s direction, we create ritualistic witchcraft. Just because something worked for others, it does not mean that God calls us to do the same thing.

What compels you into action? Are you led by the the voice of God or are you led by your fears? Have you overstepped your boundary to achieve your goal? 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

As Christians, we have the privilege of a personal relationship with the Lord, and He has deposited the Holy Spirit within us to be our comforter and counselor.  We don’t need to go to a priest to intercede on our behalf neither do we depend on others to be the voice of God for us. The challenge with hearing God’s voice is that He is not the only one talking to us. There are many voices around us that can either resemble the voice of the Lord or have great influence in our lives. Are you familiar with the voice of God? Do you ensure that His voice has preeminence in your life? 

The Preeminence of God’s Voice

So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Genesis 3:17

The above scriptures clearly shows that Adam was familiar with God’s voice. He was also familiar with Eve’s voice, and he chose her voice over God’s voice, which led him into sin. God prohibited them to eat of the tree of the knowledge of the good and evil, and Adam and Eve both knew this. However, out of the desire to please his wife, Adam chose to follow Eve and sinned against God. He was familiar with both voices, but he chose to prioritize the voice of his wife over the voice of God.

So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Genesis 16:2

Abraham made the same mistake and cost him dearly. He never checked in with God to see what He says about this. God had not directed him to sleep with his maid, but he did it to please his wife. The nation of Israel continues to suffer due to Abraham’s disobedience in having Ishmael.

And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”  But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” Genesis 27:11-13

In the above scripture, Jacob is influenced by his mother to deceive Issac. Rebekah plotted a plan for Jacob to get his brother’s inheritance by lying to his father. His mother specifically encouraged him to listen to her because she had his best interests at heart. While she promised that she is willing to incur any curse upon her, everyone was hurt and impacted by Jacob’s lies and manipulation. Rebekah had a promise from God when she was pregnant with the twins. Jacob was going to be greater than Esau, but now she and Jacob took in their own hands to fulfill the promise. 

Just because someone deeply loves us, it doesn’t mean, they always hear the voice of God. Sometimes people out of love, get into the flesh and try to fix the situation in an ungodly way for us. Are you familiar with God’s voice? Are there people in your life whose voice can be so important that you tend to disregard the voice of God in a given situation? This voice may not always be the voice of your spouse. It could be the voice of your boss, pastor, children, parents, or friends. Does God have the opportunity to override someone else’s voice in your life?

As I shared in the last devotional, people have a tendency to look for messages that make them feel good and are pleasant to their ears. However, the Lord has given us sound doctrine through the Bible to ensure that we have a healthy growth. We all need the proper spiritual nutrients to grow in discernment and distinguish between God’s ways and the enemies’ schemes. Regardless of the number of years we have walked with Him, we still need to eat the meat of the Word to remain strong and be prepared for various spiritual battles in this world.

The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end? Jeremiah 5:31

The people of God had turned away from the Lord; God used Jeremiah to tell them the process and the impact of their spiritual decline. Not only the Israelites were compromising, but they were also not interested in the truth. The prophets prophesied falsely, and people liked the happy news they heard from them. When Jeremiah told them they would be going into captivity, the false prophets told the people they were not going to because they were God’s special people. The priests enjoyed their positions of ruling over the people, and the people did not have a problem to follow whoever as long as no one stepped on their toes.

Isn’t this the condition of the American church? Our spiritual decline is evident as observed in various spheres of society such as entertainment, government, universities, churches, and the laws established. People are just looking to go to a nice church and hear an encouraging sermon. They live the rest of the week busy, happy, and occupied by their interests and all along thinking that they are glorifying God.

If you were to talk to some believers about what has changed in their lives in the last two years, their answers would primarily be about what God has done for them. Their focus is not advancing the Kingdom of God and His righteousness on the earth. Their goal is to get what they want out of life and meet their desires. They would rather just offer up a prayer than act on being an answer to a prayer. They may wish for people to get saved, but they will not take the time to get out of their routines to reach unbelievers and the unchurched. They surround themselves with friends just like them, so they can always be in agreement but not necessarily be in truth. They think they are making a difference for the Kingdom of God, but they would not rock the boat and speak up against the ungodliness propagated around them. 

Some of the above is my struggle as well.  I don’t want to be like the fig tree that Jesus spoke out against. The tree only had green leaves but no fruit. If we have itching ears for what we want to hear, we cannot be fruitful for the Kingdom. The good news is that we can change our posture and be willing to receive truth regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us. Lord, give us the courage to receive your truth and to act on it regardless of the cost!

Some people do not want to hear anything that makes them comfortable, or it demands them to change their ways. As Americans, we think we have rights, and our rights give us the privilege to have all sorts of opinions.  When you read the Bible, we don’t see God taking an opinion poll or changing His message based on how people felt about it.  We may have many opinions that are important to us, but when we come to the feet of the cross, we need to lay them all down and be willing to hear what God has to say.

The danger with holding on to our opinion is four-fold. First of all, we begin to perceive our opinion to be truth. Secondly, we don’t want to hear anything that challenges our views. Thirdly, we feel judged by others who disagree with us. Fourthly, we reject the teachings that don’t line up with our opinion.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  2Timothy 4:3

This is a warning for all of us to hold on to sound doctrine. The “itching ears” means people who desire to only hear pleasant words. Have you noticed the number of churches who only provide pleasant words to people!? If things are so pleasant why is there so much darkness in the world ? If people do not need deliverance from demonic influence and oppression,then why are there so many broken and bound believers in the church? If God considers all the people on the earth His children, then was is the purpose of being adopted as His children? If we are good people, then why did Jesus have to die for our sins? 

The foundation of the gospel began with repentance, and God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus. The Israelites must have been comfortable in their routine of animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins. They didn’t bother to listen to the voice of their conscience rather they relied on their culture to measure their level of holiness. They had become so self-righteous, that Jesus looked like the sinner!  Many of them were angry with Jesus because He told them the truth and shook their little world!

How do you interact with the Bible? Do you only focus on the scriptures that you deem important or support your worldview? Does the Bible or your church ever make you uncomfortable with your spiritual life? Do you have a tendency to get offended with those who don’t agree with you? When was the last time that your eyes were opened to a new revelation from God? Is repentance part of your lifestyle?

Are you ready for God’s new work in your life? Sometimes we think we are ready, but we are not willing to make the adjustments necessary for God’s new work.

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.Matthew 9:16

When God begins to do something new in us, it requires a paradigm shift. It takes a risk in exercising our faith in the direction of God’s leading.We cannot process the information in the same way we have before. Otherwise, we are patching an old garment on a new cloth as Jesus stated. This patch will look terrible because it will stand out. In addition, the new patch will not work because the new cloth will pull away from the old garment. 

The Israelites were faced with a paradigm shift in the desert.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”  Exodus 16: 11-12

And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’” Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.  So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.  And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.”  Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Exodus 16:15b-20

The Israelites were delivered by God’s mighty hand out of the Egypt. While in the desert, God sent them daily provision of bread and meat. He told them not to save any of the bread for the next day because He was going to provide for them every day. However, some of the Israelites out of fear, tried to save some for the next day. This was a new season in their lives where God asked them to fully rely on Him for their everyday needs. They had to let go of their grim past and exercise their faith daily for God’s provision. 

The Israelites had to let go of their fears and insecurities of the past. They were used to having harsh leaders back in Egypt. That was their old cloth. They did not trust those leaders because they mistreated them. However, God was not like their earthly pagan leaders.

God brought them out of Egypt and placed Moses, a very humble man, to lead them.  They had to let go of their distrust of bad leadership to be able to embrace God’s new leadership in their lives. They had to let go of their self-preservation despite all their fears.

Those that saved extra manna for the next day, found it full of warms. Those Israelites were trying to place the fresh manna in an the old environment of fear and insecurity by saving it an extra day. Their man-made strategy did not work, and the manna stunk and became moldy. The same is true with God’s new work in our lives. We need to make room for it by letting go of the past patterns.

God’s new work will stretch us. I feel that stretch right now in my life as God has opened new doors for me. I have to let go of my fears and my old ways of doing things. I need to adjust by trusting God without having all the answers.

How are you responding to God’s new work in your life? Are you trying to hold on to your old patterns in this new season? It’s time to let go. If we desire to see God’s new work in our lives we need to let him stretch us.

Intimacy and obedience are inseparable, and they are both essential for a thriving and growing relationship with God. If we are obedient without intimacy, we become dry and religious. If we are intimate without obedience, we are subject to deception by the enemy and the pitfalls of sin. In this backsliding state, we may think we are still intimate with the Lord, but we will begin to confuse our desires with God’s voice.  This is a dangerous position to be for a believer.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:1-4

The devil tried to tempt Jesus by suggesting that He should turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. Jesus used the word of God (Bible text in Deuteronomy) to combat the enemy. His statement was profound in regards to obedience and intimacy.

First, Jesus obeyed God by withstanding the temptation to satisfy His hunger apart from God’s will. Second, He showed that it is more important to live on each word that proceeds from the mouth of God than to satisfy fleshly desires apart from the will of God. If we were faced with a similar temptation would you have assumed that it is the will of God to turn the stones into bread? Would you have considered the miracle of stones turned into bread a blessing from God!?

The definition of the “word” in the above scripture is as follows:

Word: Strong’s 4487 (rhema): that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word, speech, discourse, utterance.

Jesus was basically stating that it is was more important for Him to hear the voice of God and remain intimate with the voice of the Holy Spirit than to disobey God. Jesus clearly demonstrated the importance of obedience and intimacy in this scripture. We are called to follow His pattern by abiding in Him and staying connected in the right relationship with the Lord.

While Jesus had the power and the authority to turn the stone into bread, He chose to refrain from it because He desired the approval of God more than satisfying His hunger. He chose not to be presumptuous in His relationship to the Lord and trusted Him with His needs. Interestingly, this was the opposite of how Adam and Eve behaved when they chose to eat from the fruit of the tree of the good and evil. The scripture does not tell us that they were even hungry. Their curiosity and distrust caused them to lose their relationship to the Lord.

Do you have intimacy with the Lord? Do you allow the Lord to correct and direct you? Do you try to obey the Lord in every aspect of your life? The combination of intimacy and obedience is the secret to a fulfilling life of faith!

While obedience gives us the opportunity to remain in a right relationship with the Father, we need intimacy with Christ to stay in tune with Him. If we are only obedient without developing our intimacy, we become religious and dry in our relationship to the Lord.

Showy prayers are not intimacy

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:6-7

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Before He shared what we call the “the model prayer” with His disciples, He spoke about the manner and the attitude of prayer. He told His disciples that prayer is not a show to be advertised in public.

Just as our intimate times with our loved ones are not blasted to the world, our intimacy with the Lord is to stay hidden from the public eye. Furthermore, Jesus told His disciples not to pray mindlessly. Some use scripted prayers that they repeat without their spirit being engaged in it.  It is not the repetition or the length of the prayer that makes it meaningful. We just need to talk naturally to the Lord and share from our heart. 

Intimacy requires time and conversation

 We see Jesus’ intimacy through his prayer time.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35 

Jesus made time for God regularly. Before the demands of the day, He got up early to spend time with the Lord. If anyone had the excuse not to spend this time with the Lord, it would have been Jesus. He came from the Father, and He knew the Father very well. However, Jesus was never presumptuous in his relationship to the Father. He stayed connected and humble. He chose to use His authority for the benefit of others not for His own benefit. He was so secure in His relationship to the Father that it kept Him full not needing man’s attention. 

For a Christian, prayer should be a two-way communication with the Father. That means we pray with the intent of listening to the Father. God hears our prayers, but do we listen to hear what He has to say to us?  If we are doing all the talking, how is He going to have opportunity to touch us, share His heart, or give us an insight?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

Is your relationship with Jesus based on intimacy or obedience? Our relationship should include both intimacy and obedience. There are times that we feel intimate, so we assume that we are obedient. At other times we measure our intimacy with our obedience. Intimacy and obedience go hand in hand, and the health of our relationship with Jesus requires both.

What kind of obedience is Jesus looking for?

“If you love Me, keep My commandments”. John 14:15

Jesus told His disciples that they cannot claim they love Him if they are not following His commandments. Just because we get emotional or we cry, it does not mean that we are obedient to God. Our obedience should impact every area of our lives. There are Christians with strong emotions or artistic gifts who can express their love for God through worship, music, or dance, but they cannot show up on time to work or be reliable. They do the work they like to do but not the work they are not as interested in. God expects us to obey Him and be faithful people. Our consistency shows our love towards God. Obedience to Him is following Him on a narrow path and not everyone is interested to be on that path!

Furthermore, Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission by stating:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:15-17

While salvation is free, we have a responsibility with this gift.  Jesus expects us to reach others with the same message that we have received. The Great Commission shows clearly that God has work for all of us to do. Therefore, obedience is necessary to follow His Commission.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:21-23

On the other hand, Jesus is not impressed by our activities apart from having intimate knowledge of Him. The word “know” in the above scripture comes from Greek (ginosko), which means intimate knowledge of someone. These individuals used their spiritual gifts to prophesy and cast out demons, but they did not know Jesus. Somehow, they were busy doing so called “spiritual work”, but they missed the master of the work. It is interesting that Jesus counted their actions as lawlessness because those actions were not birth out of a relationship with Him. They were only motivated by fleshly desires to be seen and to be impressive. 

I will continue with this subject and share about our intimacy with Jesus in the next devotional.