What are you talking about?
I have attended my church as an official member for many years. But before I found it, I searched exhaustively. I utilized the intellectual principles for finding a suitable church home and I visited many churches in the process. Then one day God simply spoke to me about a particular congregation. The word He gave me was, “it’s safe.” From that moment on I have never doubted where I belong. With time, that word has proven to make complete sense.
The voice without sound
It was not an audible voice in my ears, I’ve never heard that, but the voice without sound, subtle, small and still, down in my spirit. It was communicated by an inner assurance accompanied by a rush of peace in my heart.
The voice of God is intuitive, it’s subjective like the voice of your conscience or the love for your children. You “just know it.” It occurs in your “knower,” not in your mind.
Everyone has a “knower.” As Oral Roberts used to explain, “you know that you know.” That’s as intellectual as an explanation can get. But if God has ever spoken to you, you understand exactly what that means.
“The natural man does not receive the things of God” 1Cor.2:14
There is no respect for the carnal mind and it’s insistence on it’s own methods of intellectual processing when it comes to hearing God.The Bible says “the carnal mind is the enemy of God,” Rom.8:7, KJV. It says “strong meat belongs to them who are of full age who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Heb.5:16.
Trying to figure God out or understand His word apart from Him is contrary to Him. Why would we leave Him out? Deductive reasoning, objectivity and scientific method in data gathering and analysis holds an inferior place to the still small voice of God’s Spirit. If that seems far fetched, try loving your children by intellectual reasoning only.
God actually disallows the cerebral grasp of His message by the proud, reserving it instead for the hearing of the meek who hear His voice directly with the spiritual ears of faith.
Of the proud, scripture says, “He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted…” Jn.12:40.
Father Abraham’s example
Abraham’s hearing was clear, direct to God’s voice. His heart had no interference from theological static or intellectual conceit.
Abraham recounted where he was, when it was, how God spoke to him and what God had said to him to draw strength in the challenging times. Presumption will not sustain you through life’s difficult challenges. The phrase, “don’t doubt in the darkness what you’ve heard in the light,” is essential to perseverance but it first and foremost requires that you’ve heard something.
Once we hear God, faith is automatic because “faith comes by hearing,” Rom.10:17. We will always be able to refer back to the experience, like Abraham did. “God told me…” provides the “Shield of faith ” that can repel any contradiction of circumstance we face. Then “the Sword of the Spirit,” can effectively strike its death blow.
“The Spirit’s sword,” is the Word God has spoken and the Word we have heard and been assured of, Eph.6:16-17. Make sure that’s the sword your wielding. It alone makes us invincible.