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Christian Short StoriesThe Sound of Love Michael writes: "Inspiration for my writings comes from my own life experiences and the lessons God has taught me through each and every one. It is through the things that God has taught me and situations overcome that I pray others will rise above the obstacles that would keep them from victory in their own lives. I write to encourage, inspire and uplift every person who feels their current situation is insurmountable. So, they may know the hope and victory that is theirs through Christ Jesus. I pray above all things that each writing I post will be a blessing to someone and a word of encouragement for the journey ahead. Feel free to share with me how you were ministered to through one of my writings. We can all use a little encouragement from time to time!"
The Lord constantly speaks to us and gives us His direction. It's never the Lord who is not speaking, but it's us not listening. We can never know an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father without hearing Him speak to us personally. But, as easy as it is for us to speak to Him, most Christians have a hard time hearing His voice. This is not the way the Lord intended it to be. We know God's voice because we know Him. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and they know me” (John 10:14 NLT). We recognize God's voice because we recognize Him, the better we get to know God the more clearly we will hear His voice. God's voice is His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, so the voice of God is the sound of Love. The actions of love are accomplished when we put God's benefit and the benefit of others before our own. God's voice, His Holy Spirit will always lead us in the direction of love. In the 2nd Chapter of Habakkuk, the prophet, longed to hear from God! He was so determined that he was willing to stand and wait as long as it took. “I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait and see what the Lord says...” (Habakkuk 2:1 NLT). The prophet found that God was faithful. “Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:2 NLT). Listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts. In order to listen to God and receive His instructions, we must want to do His will, much as the prophet did. God honors the heart completely surrendered to Him. If we are stubbornly clinging to our own desires, we are likely to get a garbled message that will not be God's voice at all. As a result, we are likely to continue pursuing a path that is contrary to the one God has designed for our lives. Psalm 40:8 (NLT) says, “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” We can trust that God will direct our path when we desire His will above every other desire. By listening to His message and being quick to obey. Also, writing down what He tells us and being ready to share it so that others may understand. When we listen to God and obey Him, we will discover a life that is full and rich with purpose, with the confidence that we are following the Master's plan. The Lord would say, “Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 NLT). (© 2011 Michael Cochran – All rights reserved. Written material may not be duplicated without permission.) |
