Transcription
If you need help discerning God's voice, this is for you. Let's talk about what's coming next in your life.
Listen, we all have decisions to make. Who to marry, where to live, which job to take, which school to go to. And these decisions that we have to make sometimes leave us wondering, God, what's next? What do you have for my life? Or maybe it causes us to worry, did I miss a turn somewhere back there? And what's true is that we want to walk in God's will. We want to please the Lord. We want to fulfill his calling for our lives.
So this of course leaves us frustrated because here on one hand we want to do what God says. We want to go where God wants us to go. But then on the other hand, we're saying, "Lord, what do you want me to do? And where do you want me to go?"
So let me give you the first tip here. Instead of waiting for a definite yes, go until God says no. Believers waste so much time waiting around fearful, wondering if they're going to make God mad. Listen, as long as you're not committing a violation of the commands that are given to us plainly in the word of God, then I believe that there's grace for the mistakes that we make in terms of timing and planning and the specific details of how we carry out our calling. I don't think God is looking over the balconies of heaven waiting for us to mess up by even the smallest detail in order to punish us. And while I understand that we of course should wait on the Lord, we of course should pray, we also have to acknowledge that God isn't always going to split the sky and speak with an audible voice. Sometimes you're just going to have to say, "I think this is God, so I'm going to step out in faith." Now, of course, this is all while balancing wisdom, but make sure that you're not confusing fear for wisdom or wisdom for fear.
In other words, God gives us tools, a blueprint, a general idea of what he wants us to do. And it's our job to use our specific giftings to fulfill God's general commands and callings. God designed you to build, to create, to achieve, to advance, to go after what you believe is right. He says, "Here are the tools. Now go build the kingdom." And we say, "Lord, what part of the wall should I get started on?" And he's saying, "Just go build something."
In Acts chapter 16, beginning at verse 6, we read, "Next, Paul and Silas traveled through the area for Jia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mya, they headed north for the province of Bethnia. But again, the spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through my to the seapport of Trrowaz." Notice here that they went before they got a specific instruction. They actually got moving in faith to the point where the Holy Spirit had to say, "Actually, not right now." And then they went after that. And then again, the Holy Spirit had to prevent them. So this tells me that a they weren't necessarily praying about every little detail. Now, I know this is going to sound um rebellious to some Christians, especially if we've been programmed to think that every day, every little decision requires a specific instruction from the heavens. What I'm saying is that far too many Christians use that as an excuse to do nothing at all. And so, I'm not saying go fast. I'm not saying be presumptuous. I'm saying use wisdom. Use the skills God has given to you. Use the passions God has placed within your heart. Look at the landscape. Look at the need. Ask yourself, how can I fulfill the need? How can I be of use to the kingdom? And then get moving.
The second thing we see from this portion of scripture is that the Holy Spirit didn't get mad at them. He corrected them. As long as you're willing to be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, then he will guide you as you go. He will correct you if you get off path.
Tip number two, don't base God's voice on the experiences of others. Now, others may tell you, you know, I've heard the voice of God before and he sounds loving or he sounds stern or he speaks softly or he speaks harshly or he speaks with a vibrant voice or he speaks with a quiet voice. And I'm not saying that these experiences that other people have aren't genuine. Of course, I believe that God speaks to other believers. But different people will describe the voice of the Holy Spirit differently to you. So, you can't go based off their descriptions alone.
Now, watch this. For example, here we see that the voice is not in the fire and the voice is quiet. First Kings 19:1-13. "Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" So, if you were to ask Elijah, he would say, "Well, the voice of the Lord is quiet." And you would say, "Elijah, is God's voice like fire?" He would say, "No, his voice was not in the fire."
But watch here in Deuteronomy 5:22, we read, "The Lord spoke these words to all of you assembled there at the foot of the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the heart of the fire surrounded by clouds in deep darkness. This was all he said at that time and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me." In one instance, we see that the voice of the Holy Spirit was not in the fire and the voice of the Holy Spirit was quiet. In the other instance, we see that the voice of the Holy Spirit was loud and vibrant and also in a fire. Is this a contradiction? No. These are different experiences that different people are having in relation to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
So to illustrate this point, I'll read this analogy from my book, Holy Spirit, God within you, which is available at encounterthespirit.com. Think of someone close to you. This could be a spouse or a sibling or a close friend, whoever you know well. Now, I want you to hear their voice in your mind. You know their voice because you know them well and you hear them often. You can hear their cadence, tone, volume, and unique qualities. Now, if I were to ask you to describe their voice to me, what words would you use? Perhaps you might say their voice is deep or high-pitched, raspy or smooth, authoritative or timid. Here's the problem. Though you would be able to give me helpful descriptions of their voice, I wouldn't be able to pick their voice out of a crowd of a hundred people. I might be able to guess, but I wouldn't be able to know their voice for certain. In the same way, when we try to hear God's voice based on the descriptions others give us, we set ourselves up for lifealtering mistakes. So, someone might say to you, "The voice of the Holy Spirit is very gentle." And so, you'll internalize that. That becomes a part of your thought process. And therefore, every gentle thought you have, you'll be saying, "That must be the Lord." Or someone might say, "He speaks with a vibrant voice. He's very authoritative. And so if you hear a voice internally that speaks to you sternly, based on that description alone, you might say, "Well, surely this is the voice of the Lord." So don't base the voice of God on the experiences of others. You can appreciate those experiences. You can glean certain truths from those experiences, but be aware of hyperspecific descriptions of his voice when trying to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit for yourself.
Hey, if you're enjoying this, if this is helping you and you think other Christians need to hear this, then make sure to leave a like on the video right now. That helps us to spread the content to more people. Also, make sure you're subscribed to my channel so that you don't miss any of my teachings on the Holy Spirit. So, if you want to continue to get my teachings on the Holy Spirit, subscribe right now.
Number three, the third tip, don't assume you'll always agree or disagree with God. Let me explain this. Some people think that the voice can't be God because they like the instruction too much. And you say, "What does that mean?" Well, there are some believers that are of the belief that unless you're miserable, you're not in the will of God. That unless God is always telling you to do something difficult, that it can't possibly be the voice of God. I'll tell you this, when the Lord told me that Jessica would be my wife, that wasn't difficult to hear. I was very excited to hear that I had found my wife. I was happy to receive that instruction. Internally, I was rejoicing going, "Okay, this is my wife." I remember hearing her talk. We were having a long conversation and and there was this confirmation deep within where the Holy Spirit says, "This is the one." Sometimes the Lord will tell you things that you actually enjoy. Listen, we have to be broken from this legalistic mindset that God will only tell us things that make us miserable or God will only tell us things that challenge us or God will only tell us things that cause us to give up the things that we enjoy that were blessings from him. Sometimes he will, don't get me wrong, that's going to be my next point.
In first kings chapter 3 11-14 we read, "So God replied, because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies, I will give you what you asked for. I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have. And I will also give you what you did not ask for, riches and fame. No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life. And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father David did, I will give you a long life." So sometimes God will tell you something that's enjoyable. And just because you're not miserable doesn't mean it's not God.
The inverse is also true. Some people think this can't be God because it sounds like too much of a challenge. This can't be God because it's too disruptive of my comfort. You know, the Lord will do that sometimes. And I've had to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit several times in my life where I think I've reached this plateau of comfort and I say, "Okay, I'll settle here for a little bit." Or I'll look around and say, "Okay, this is a nice place to rest. This is a nice time to pause and just put down roots and settle down." And the Holy Spirit will say, "No, there's something else I want you to do in ministry. No, there's something else I want you to add." Just when I think I've got my schedule all ironed out, the Holy Spirit will say, "Okay, I want to change a few things." And sometimes God will disrupt your plans. And sometimes God will ask you to give up comfort. And sometimes God will ask you to sacrifice. And sometimes God will ask you to give up what he blessed you with.
In John 21:18-19, we read, "I tell you the truth. When you were young, you were able to do as you liked. You dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me." So, it's not always going to be pleasant. You're not always going to feel peace. Be careful of those kinds of cliches where God speaks and we say, "I don't know. I don't really feel peace about this in my heart." Do you think Jesus felt peace in the garden when he was about to be crucified? Yes. Yes, he had trust in God and yes, he had divine peace. But sometimes when we say peace, we mean, I feel good about it. That's the kind of peace I'm saying that's not always going to be there. So, of course, there's that divine peace, but that doesn't mean you're going to feel good about every instruction. That doesn't mean you're not going to be a little nervous about what could go wrong. Faith requires risk, and sometimes you're just going to have to step out and take that risk. So, God will sometimes speak in a way that blesses you. Don't ignore that. Just because you think God's instructions should always make you miserable. And sometimes God will challenge you. Don't ignore that just because you think that God's instructions should always tell you something that you want to hear.
Here's the fourth tip. Don't put God in the box of your expectation. Because sometimes it's difficult to discern the instructions from the Lord because we're holding to a set of already established beliefs or preconceived notions and we grant certain premises like for sure God wants me to have this for sure God wants me to be here or for sure God doesn't want me to go there or for sure God wants me to do it like this. And if we're not willing to let go of those preconceived ideas, as long as they if they came from the Lord, of course you keep them. But sometimes God will change things for a season. But for the most part, if you're holding on to preconceived notions, then it's going to be very difficult for God to speak the next instruction.
Here's an example. The Lord said to Moses, "Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Si. Strike the rock and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink." So Moses struck the rock as he was told and water gushed out as the elders looked on. Here we see that the Lord instructed him, strike the rock and I'll cause the miracle. So Moses does this.
Now look at a separate instance here in Numbers 20 beginning at verse number 7. And the Lord said to Moses, "You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community as the people watch. Watch this now. Speak to the rock over there and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock." So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. "Listen you rebels," he shouted. "Must we bring you water from this rock." Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff and water gushed out. By the way, you see, looks like he has to work twice as hard when he's not following the instructions of the Lord. And water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them."
Now, we see that in one instance that God tells Moses to strike the rock. In the second instance, he says, "Speak to the rock." Moses having been programmed by a prior expectation instead strikes the rock and again has to work twice as hard to get the same result. And so because of what he had heard previously, because of the fact that he expected today's instruction to follow yesterday's model, he now couldn't hear God for today. I'm not saying that God changes. I'm not saying that his will changes. I'm not saying that his commands change. I'm saying that seasons change. And because seasons change, the instructions for that season are going to vary within the boundaries of scripture. So for example, there was a very specific way the Lord had me prepare my schedule for any given week when I was single. And then after I got married, the Lord had me prepare my schedule in a much different way. Now, if I tried to live by my single schedule in my married life, it would wreck my marriage and it would wreck the ministry. If I was traveling that often, if I was working that many hours, if I wasn't setting aside time for date nights and family nights, it would destroy both the marriage and the ministry. So, you can't take yesterday's revelation and apply it to today in the exact same way that you applied it yesterday. Yes, truth will always be truth. But if you're coming to this season with a set of expectations or a set of stipulations like God, it has to be this, this, this, and this. Well, then you just may miss the voice of the Lord all because of preconceived notions.
And here's the fifth tip. Don't expect God's voice to remove all the obstacles. You know, one time I was asking a friend for help with trying to get a television ministry going. This is before we got media going in television. And he noticed that it was taking probably over a year by the time I had talked to him again to get everything to finally click. And so I began to tell this friend about some of the struggles we're having with getting the media going and getting the equipment going. And he kind of leans back. He goes, "Well, are you sure that's God?" I said, "Well, yes, of course I'm sure this is God. This is what he gave to me for this season, for the next several seasons of life." He goes, "I don't know. It seems to be taking a long time. You're running into a lot of resistance. Are you sure that's God?" And I had to go back and think about it. This was the first time someone had brought up that kind of idea with a situation like this. And then after praying about it, reading the word, I doubled down on it and I realized, you know, some believers think that because there's resistance that it can't possibly be God.
In 2 Corinthians 11, beginning at verse 24, we see that notion completely obliterated. "Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day a drift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, from the Jews as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long enduring many sleepless nights. I've been hungry and thirsty, and I've g often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my filling that weakness? Who is led astray and I do not burn with anger." Just because there are obstacles doesn't mean it's not God. Just because there's some resistance doesn't mean that you're outside of the will of God. And sometimes we think that when the voice of God speaks that that instruction is going to remove all obstacles. But often God will lead you into the wilderness. Think about how the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted. God will sometimes lead you into a wilderness not just for the purpose of torturing you or making you miserable, but for processing you. Because sometimes the will of God requires that you go through the wilderness. And in the wilderness, character is strengthened and we become the people who can handle what the voice promised to us.
So, Father, I pray you would help us to discern your voice. I pray, Lord, that we would be sensitive to your precious Holy Spirit. Come on, begin to ask him right now to make you sensitive and responsive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen them, Lord. Remove every distraction. And Father, I pray that you would stir their faith, that they would walk by faith and not by sight, ready to receive your instruction. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. I want you to say it because you believe it. Say, "Amen."
Now, listen, there's a need out there. People need Jesus. The gospel must be preached. I don't know about you, but I have a desire to see souls saved, the bound delivered, the sick healed, and believers have encounters with the Holy Spirit. That's how God is using this ministry. And so, I want you to think of those who will be impacted by this ministry as you consider now becoming a monthly ministry partner by signing up for our automatic giving plan at davidhernandezministries.com/partner.
[Music]
Now listen, when you partner with us, you're helping us to take this ministry all around the world through events and media, and you're helping us to take the power of the Holy Spirit to this generation. Help us as we are on this mission to see people saved, healed, delivered, empowered. It's not about us, it's about others. If you've been blessed by this ministry, it's time to pay it forward. It's time to do your part now. So, if you can hear the cry of souls, if you can hear the cry of those who need the power of the spirit, if you can hear the cry of those who need this kind of ministry to impact their lives, then get behind what we're doing today. Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit right now and join our efforts. Join this cause as we see the world impacted for the sake of the gospel. One more time, sign up to become a partner at davidhernandezministries.com/partner and give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate.
Well, if you want more keys to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, then check out "If You've Never Heard the Holy Spirit Clearly," watch this.