Nan wanted a ride home from work. Everything about that sentence bothered me. She didn’t like me, she told me often I was spoiled and she wasn’t a fan of my kids. And now she wanted a ride home from work.
It was two hours since I received the message. My initial response to anyone else would have been, “Of course, I’d be happy too.” But this time, I hesitated.
Nan and I went to church together. You already know she didn’t like me, yet she signed up for all the same things I did. Her choices constantly threw us together, and she spent the vast majority of that time telling me everything that was wrong with me. I know I drove her crazy.
I often questioned why she was always . . . right there. Was God trying to teach me something? Was I allowing the enemy to get into my head when it was all coincidence? Or did I just need to eat a Snickers bar and move on?
If you think I was way overthinking this, you would be right.
Have you ever been there? Is this from God, or is it from me? Is Satan trying to throw me off, or is it ok? I spent way too many hours for way too many years of my life trying to figure out what was from God, what was from me, and what was from Satan.
Hearing God’s voice doesn’t just happen, at least not typically. I used to beg God to leave me notes on my pillow. I never got one. But I did learn the more time I spent with Him, the better chance I had of hearing from Him. It takes intention; it takes a deliberate pursuit of Him and attention to His word to really hear His voice, especially since the world is so very loud.
“You will seek me, and you will find me, when you seek me with all of your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Are you looking for God? Are you longing for real rest? Are you filling up with things of the world when all you need is Jesus? My friend, He is longing for you! He is waiting with open arms for you to leap into them and hold you!
God’s word is full of everything you need. It has all the ingredients for a life of abundance.
So what’s holding you back? Have you been away too long? The Israelites saw the many miracles of God but often struggled with their faith in Him. He offered the rest they needed, but they couldn’t be still long enough to learn.
Over time I learned that God put Nan in my life to teach me empathy and patience. The more time I spent with Him the clearer this got. I also realized that I added a lot of my anguish by overthinking, so for that, I probably just needed a Snickers.
God is fighting for us! We just need to be still and let Him. What will you do this week to intentionally listen for the voice of God?