Hearing God’s Voice

 

READ Psalm 36–40

Yesterday, I woke up tired and sad, but praised God anyway and He gave me joy. This morning, after a good sleep, that joy remains and as I read these psalms that describe the extremes of the psalmist’s experience and emotions, I see the faithfulness of God running through the descriptions. No matter what the writer is going through, good or bad, happy or in distress, he knows the grace of God and the wonder of being in a right relationship with Him.

Copying these verses here does not duplicate the experience of being convicted of sin, nor does it produce His presence or the joy He puts in my heart when bring my cares to the Lord. I can say it is there, feel intensely, yet know that anyone reading those verses or what I write about them may not experience the same result. Only the Spirit of God can speak to the human heart. Only God can speak through this book of praise and fill the reader with conviction and/or delight. And in some ways, that is sad, however it should not be. I am not God. I do not know what is needed in the lives of others. Most of the time, I’m not too certain what I need!

But God knows. He picks out verses to touch my mind, to wake up His joy in me. He reminds me of truths that I so easily forget and gives me songs to sing the rest of the day. All I can say to that is that everyone should read this book of books for themselves and discover that it is alive. By that, I mean God is able to take the parts, or the verses and thoughts that each reader needs to hear and lift that person above their current situation, meeting the need of what to think about, of what to confess, or learn, or relearn and remember.

For me and for this day, God speaks to me through these songs. In Psalm 36, the people without fear of God are said to plot trouble while in their beds. I’ve done that, confessed it and am glad that the rest of the psalm assures me of God’s steadfast love and how He rescues His people from all sorts of things, including the foolishness of trying to rule my world without Him or His wisdom.

Psalm 37 begins with:

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:1–4)

While some think this means He will give me whatever I want, I’ve learned that is simply not true. Like a daddy whose child keeps asking for too much candy, God knows what is best for me. What a hard lesson for this spoiled brat to learn that my heavenly Father loves me too much to let me rule my own life, wanting or seeking things not good for me.

Instead, these verses mean that when I delight in the Lord and obey Him, the desires that fill my heart are from Him, not from worldly or sinful eye candy. He lovingly enables me to want His best for me instead of some vain substitutes — that wind up being sad regrets, never mind a waste of time and energy. The next verses pack a punch also:

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (37:5–11)

There is much more in the remaining chapters that urge me to guard my ways and forsake all sin, reminding me of the fate of those who ignore God. The last two verses are a prayer and David’s words are my prayer too:

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (40:16–17)

Feeling poor and needy is not fun, but it is far better than being appalled because of sin and shame! For this and for God’s voice I am deeply grateful!

 

Wisdom requires humility . . .

 

 

READ Job 29-32

Dwelling on my mistakes is sometimes a good thing if it leads to repentance and change, but this can also be self-centered navel-gazing, just one more way of putting me in the spotlight instead of exalting my Savior. On the other hand, when down and down-trodden, a review of how God has blessed and used my life can be medicine for a discouraged and depressed soul.

In today’s chapters, Job rehearses the good times. He thinks of his family, his position as a prominent and respected man who was blessed by all. People listened to his wisdom and all was well. He also talked about his present situation. He was ridiculed by those who once looked up to him and even by those whose opinion was generally unworthy. His friends turned against him and everyone misunderstood him. His afflictions deepened each day.

Not only that, when he called on the Lord, he heard silence, as if he were forgotten. His joy was gone and he was mourning for his losses, even for himself. All that was left was his integrity. Even in all his anguish, he knew that he was all that he claimed to be before God. For him, there was no answer to this deeply painful situation except to keep trusting God.

“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) (Job 31:5–6)

God know the human heart. He knows our intentions and our difficulties. He never leaves us or forsakes us even if we feel alone and without any resources. Reviewing the past, the present, and our hopes for the future along with an honest declaration of all that we are feeling is one way to display integrity. Job did this and in the midst of tough times, he remained full of faith. He trusted in the only One who could truly help him and Job never forsook the Lord.

As I look back at fifty years or so of being a Christian, my errors and failures could easily throw me into a pit — if I make them the focus of my review. Yet God, through the life of Job, tells me to do that review with His faithfulness in mind rather than my failures. In that lies great blessing.

Chapter 32 is interesting. A younger man comes forward. He has been listening to Job and the words of his ‘friends’ and been angered at both sides of this debate. He first goes after the three accusers and says:

“I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.’” (Job 32:6–10)

I don’t know what I might have said to these three ‘friends’ but Elihu’s rebuke includes a wisdom that many do not realize. He said that understanding comes from God, not necessarily because a person is old and wise. My dad used to say, “There is no fool like an old fool” and Elihu would agree.

However, this young man also knew the possibility that what he says is his “opinion” rather that the thoughts of God, another wise statement. This is a rebuke to these ‘friends’ for speaking without the humility that comes with an admission that not one of us really knows very much. Their words to Job would have been much different had they told him they had no idea why God had allowed this man to suffer.

In my prayers, I realize how little I know of the will of God. When they are answered, the answer is a small glimpse, yet when nothing happens according to my requests, I also learn something: that I’m either to wait or that God is telling me how clueless I am to what He is doing. From Job, I learn that the best thing I can do is to keep on trusting Him. Only the Lord can give me right words and right thoughts. I must admit that when He does (or does not) I may not have a clue about that either. Unless what I say lines up with His words plainly stated in Scripture and unless He reveals it by His Spirit to my spirit, I am just as oblivious as those ‘friends’ when stating my understanding about most everything, no matter my age or how much I study, or much I think I know.