Page 24 - RiseUpWarrior

23 Chapter 9 and climbing up this ladder, God will be speaking to hear from God that same day, exactly what team she you on a constant basis and it is of utmost importance should serve on. She was surprised, but also relieved. that you learn to recognize His voice. She had her iPod with her, with the full audio Bible on it, with a system where she would listen to the Bible every night. I came up with a system to confrm if what I thought I was hearing was actually from God or not. So I told her to separate off from me, and just listen to the Bible portion for today, the one she would be listen- First, I had learned that I could never trust my own ing to tonight anyway. So we separated and we both heart. took some time to pray and read or listen to the Bible. “The heart is deceitful above all things I approached her 20 minutes later and asked her if she and beyond cure. had received an answer. She was not sure, but there was Who can understand it?” one verse that stood out to her. Jeramiah 17:9 She told me the verse. It said, So, a positive answer from God was harder to confrm. “Blessed are those who stay where God has put them, For a YES (on something that I wanted), I expected a and do no changing.” verse from the Bible to confrm it AND my authorities to confrm it. So I said, OH, this will be an easy one, God is telling you NOT to move to another department, but to stay in For a negative answer from God, it was easy to just hear the sound department! She immediately began to cry. Him in my heart. Since God was telling me something that I really didn’t want to hear, I could trust that I wasn’t You see, when God gives us the answer we don’t want making things up. It was His voice talking to me. to hear, it takes practice to see it right away. Our own selfsh desires get in the way, and start trying to twist My standard for hearing God’s voice became a three- the words. That verse was clear; do not change, but stay step process that got smoother and smoother to use: where God originally put you. • Check the Bible At once her heart and spirit could confrm that it was • Check with an authority (my parents or pastors) God speaking to her, which gave her relief. But at the same time, it hurt, because it wasn’t the answer she • Check my Spirit wanted. She had enjoyed the sound department, but it had been 4 years! She was hoping for a change. Years later, as I was working with my sister Suki on her So I shared with her the next step is to answer God; to training, it came time for her to make an important deci- spend some time with Him alone, thank Him for speak- sion, and she needed God to speak to her directly. She ing to you and to answer Him on whether or not you asked me how I could hear God and actually know that will obey. He was the one speaking to me. The beach was nearby, So we separated again, and later she told me that after so I took her to the beach, each with our own Bibles. some crying and letting go of self, she was able to thank I talked about the three step process, and how we are God and submit to His will over her life. God’s children and can hear his voice. Of course things were not easy for her when we re- You see, she had been serving at the church for years turned back to normal life. The departments were still in the sound department, helping run the PowerPoint. pulling on her, and it looked like she was turning down But people had begun to notice her other skills, and she a promotion to a new department; at least that is, from was invited to participate on the stage with the worship man’s point of view. team, as well as on the stage over in kid’s church. There were three departments fghting over her, and she had to I reminded her that God is working on her training for make a decision where she would serve God at church. things He has prepared for her to do later in life. God’s way is always better than man’s way. He can see the God knows when we have deadlines for decisions and future! deadlines for Him in His service. I have found that He is very faithful to give me an immediate answer when Don’t forget that going up the ladder with God is very I need one. So I just gave Suki the hope that she would different from going up the ladder in church. They can sometimes take the same route, but not always.