Hearing From God
I noticed something very significant the other day when I read from Isaiah's encounter with God in Isaiah 6. He saw the Lord high and lifted up on His throne. He was aware of his awesome presence. However, it was not until he realized his sin and was cleansed by the coal from the altar that he heard the Lord speaking. Our sin clogs our spiritual ears. Many people don't hear from God, because they are holding to their sins, instead of confessing them.
Also, Isaiah heard the Lord talking about who would go for the Lord. He heard the heart of God for the world, once he dealt with his sin. Only then did he volunteer to go for the Lord by saying, "Here am I, send me." That is a very significant event. It tells us why we do not have more people responding to the call of God to be witnesses and missionaries to our communities and to our world. If we have unconfessed sin, we will be unaware of God's call. We will hear preachers and teachers talk about it, but it will never seem personal to us, because our sin has made us hard of hearing.
Therefore, we need to spend an extended time of listening to the Spirit, as He convicts us of our sins. Then, we need to confess them and wait before the Lord, until we hear His voice and His heart for us to go to the world that is dying without Jesus.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 7-9 and II Corinthians 13.
Also, Isaiah heard the Lord talking about who would go for the Lord. He heard the heart of God for the world, once he dealt with his sin. Only then did he volunteer to go for the Lord by saying, "Here am I, send me." That is a very significant event. It tells us why we do not have more people responding to the call of God to be witnesses and missionaries to our communities and to our world. If we have unconfessed sin, we will be unaware of God's call. We will hear preachers and teachers talk about it, but it will never seem personal to us, because our sin has made us hard of hearing.
Therefore, we need to spend an extended time of listening to the Spirit, as He convicts us of our sins. Then, we need to confess them and wait before the Lord, until we hear His voice and His heart for us to go to the world that is dying without Jesus.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 7-9 and II Corinthians 13.