Growing up we have seen cartoons where the a character will have a little devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other shoulder. And always there will be a struggle between right and wrong and which one the character should listen to. Oh, but if it were only so easy, right! One of the things I hear people say they struggle with a lot, and something I used to struggle with myself, is how to know when a word, an idea, or a plan is coming from God? Especially when it's something you really want. People have asked me "how do I know if this is just me, if this is God, or if this is satan?" And as much as I would like to say that's easy, sometimes it's not. So you have to be willing to be honest with yourself and you have to be willing to removed your own wants and desires from the situation as you "test" the word to see if it's God. The reason I say this because our desires are probably the number one that they the enemy will use to make something bad look like something good...or something that is not God's will look like something that is God's will.
As much as I would love to point you to one magical verse and say if what you are hearing does not pass through this verse then its' not God, I personally don't know of any one verse like that. Instead, I would say you need to pass what you are hearing against God's entire Word. Since the beginning of time God has bee leading people. And when He has, He has also been using circumstances to advance His kingdom, get the attention of those who did not believe in who He was, and creating miracles out of situations that seems impossible. All the while in a way that brought glory and honor to His name, not the name of the person whose life He was moving in. Are there a few simple "rules" to go by if you want to know if a word is coming from God, sure I think so. First, I would ask how will this bring honor to God? How will this glorify and magnify His name? Will this be a testimony I will be able to tell others so they will be able to see the power of God and increase their faith? Second, I would ask is this thing I am feeling like I should do going to hurt anyone, bring any kind of shame or guilt, or cause a stumbling block for nonbelievers who are looking at my life? If the answer to any of those could be yes, then I would say there is a good chance that enemy is trying to deceive you into believing something you want is blessed by God. And for more on that I would turn to God's word because Jesus came to promote love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness, grace and mercy... and to get us to walk out of the power of sin in our life. Not to fall into traps the enemy sets that moves us away from any of those things. Third, I would ask you how much time you have spent actually talking to God about the thing you are considering? If you have not talked to Him about it, then how can you expect Him to be talking to you about it. Sometimes when we want something really bad we give it a "Godly stamp of approval", but we avoid actually asking Him to reveal the truth to us because we may actually find out we don't have His blessing. So always spend time praying about it and get others involved in praying about it. I can think of a time when I was seeking God on something and I just wasn't sure, but it wasn't until I involved 2 other people who I knew had great prayer lives that I got my answer from God. And the answer was clear and concise and not the one I expected....why was is so clear, because when I wasn't sure I didn't react, I sought Him out more. He always wants us to seek Him our more!
God has a plan and will for each of our lives. He wants things for you that do benefit your life, but He also wants to make sure that others see HIM in the decisions that you make for your life. If you make God a promise to never make a move until you are sure something is from Him, I promise you that He will faithfully always make things clear for you. I know I can make that promise because I have experienced it in my own life. He loves us, He wants the best for us, but we have to remember that He also knows what is best for us far more than we do. And when you are willing to submit all of your own plans to Him, and let Him have complete authority over your life and your plans, His word will become much more clear to you. And when you do move with His blessings you will bring glory and honor to Him so that others can see how powerful He is in your life.
God, I thank You for this word today, and I pray it reaches those that need it. I pray as we draw closer to You will become so in tune with the sound of Your voice that we will always know it's You. Holy Spirit work on us and in us so the desires of our hearts match the desires of Your heart. And always let our choices glorify You so others can see your power and your majesty! In Jesus name, Amen
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