HOW DO YOU HEAR FROM GOD?
I get so excited about the Word of God because the Word of God is God (John 1:1). The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (1 John 1:14). So, let’s go back to the title of this devotional. How do you hear from God? How do you know He’s calling your name? How do you know He’s giving you a unique assignment today? How do you know He is wooing you to His Word?
One of the sweet results of me not knowing my earthly father and having many evil step-fathers is that when I found out I could have a Heavenly Father, nothing was in my way! What do I mean by that? Well, so often, people do not run to God because either they have an amazing earthly father who provided or provides everything they ever needed emotionally and financially or they have or had an earthly father who always let them down. They either don’t think they “need” God, or they don’t go to God because they assume He will be as unfaithful to their heart and needs as their earthly father is or was. These are potential barriers. But, neither of those circumstances existed for me. As a result, when I heard the salvation news, I immediately accepted God as my Father. For this heart, it was an instantaneous connection.
So, how do I hear from God? Some people think I can hear from God in a unique way because my son is deaf. But, hearing from God is not a gift that only some people get, and others don’t. God is always speaking, and He desires for us to listen. At 14 years old, because I never had the barrier of an earthly father, I began talking to God in prayer all the time. I ran to God when I had a question in math. I ran to God when I needed money to pay for an opportunity at school or in life. I called on God from boot camp. I called God constantly after I got married. I called on Him constantly when I became a mother and did not know how to mother.
Just as a young woman calls her earthly father on the phone for advice and help in making a decision or if she has a need, I called upon my Heavenly Father. When I didn’t know how to parent, I called on my Heavenly Dad, again, and again, and again. You see, God is always speaking. He has an answer for any dilemma you’ve ever had. He also loves to hear you simply talk to Him about things.
If you are a parent of a teenager or a grown child, don’t you just love it when your child actually takes the time to talk to you about their life, telling you little details about their day at school, or at work, or what they did over the weekend? Our Father God is the same way. He loves it when we go to Him, especially when we don’t just go to Him when we have a need, ignoring Him the rest of the time.
When my daughter, Faith, was an infant, I felt rather lonely one night. My husband was working nights at Home Depot. I think it was the eve of Mother’s Day. I was sad about the ruthless loot that addictions had stolen from my heart over the years. Now that I was a parent, I really needed a parent in my life. I was an adult daughter of two people who suffered from alcoholism. My father was deceased; I never knew him, and my mother was unavailable to me due to addictions.
I got my Bible and I went to God in prayer. “Lord, this may sound kind of silly, but I really feel like I need a bed-time story. What can I read in the Bible that will comfort me like a little girl having a bed-time story being read to her by her father?” Immediately, I heard God whisper in my spirit, “Esther.”
I soon found out that Esther was the first Cinderella in history! As a result, I wrote a play called “The First Cinderella” based on the book of Esther. But more importantly, I want to share with you: How do you hear from God? How do you know He’s calling your name? How do you know He’s giving you a unique assignment today? How do you know He is wooing you to His Word?
He has the answer to all of these questions because He is the answer! He’s God. He is the Word. The Word is alive and active, and it always accomplishes what He sends it forth to accomplish. He is always speaking to you through His Word. He is a lover of your heart. He can comfort like a mother. Our Heavenly Father speaks to us in His Word because He is the Word.
Peter didn’t have a Bible to go to for answers and clarity about if he should cast out his net. He didn’t have the internet to Google this guy named “Jesus,” who claimed to be God. He couldn’t check His references. He simply had to answer the call one step at a time. The same is true for us in many ways. We may have more resources that we can “check out to see if they are valid or good,” but why would we check with resources of this world about the Word? Why would we go to all that trouble when we have God’s Word?! We can take Him at His Word because He is the Word. I encourage you to go to God in His Word. He is wooing you to Him at this exact moment! You can hear Him speaking in His Word.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her recently founded Share & Company Publishing House http://seymourkristina.wix.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 19 September 2023.
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