Hearing from God

Have you ever heard from God? Oh, not in an audible way. But in a way that you know that this idea that just popped up in your thought wasn't from your own mind or imagination--it was divine.

Have you ever had that happen to you?

Yea, me too... just this morning as a matter of fact. But this time it was a kind of time-delayed voice. It was like God sneaking up behind me and whispers, "Remember what you heard way back in February? That was for you."

Back in February I was at a conference and one of the speakers said he was sitting in his office and it was as if God said to him, "You need to be more afraid of me than you are of your people." It thought that was pretty cool--it had nothing to do with his presentation, but it was pretty cool, so I wrote it down.

Well, today God reminded me of that, It was as if God came up beside me and said, "John, you need to be more afraid of me than you are of your people." It wasn't audible, but it was clear enough. It was unmistakably God.

I had to confess. I had to repent. I had to ask for God's forgiveness.

I also had to ask for God's help.

I am so tied to people's approvals. I want to be liked. I want people to like what I say and always speak well of me. But not at the cost of God's disapproval. And that's been the problem, I think. I've been more afraid of what others think about me, and less concerned with what God thinks about me. I don't want to rock the boat, even though God is saying, "It's time to jump ship. It's time to get out of the boat."

I'm sure it's going to take some courage... I'm sure it's going to take some faith... I'm sure it's going to take a lot of praying... and I'm sure I'll stumble on the way.... but I'm done with being afraid of people and what they think.

God called me, not people. God has commissioned me, not people. God has ordained me, not people. I am God's, not theirs. And I seek God's approval above all else.