When God Speaks – Do You Listen? Morning Devotional From the Edges –

When I hear from God – How will I respond ?

Prayerfully from the heart of Pastor Calvin Cook

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I pray often the same prayer, prayed in different ways – “Lord I need direction”, “Lord what should I do with this”, “Lord – speak to me”, “Lord – I stuck in the pit will you help me out.” The prayers continue and as God answers and speaks – I am often reminded, I am not always willing to hear in the way that God is speaking to me or guiding me to a better, a much better way, embraced within God’s will and grace.

Recently (Sunday morning) I heard in my prayer time the Holy Spirit speaking in a gentle and comforting word. I wrote in my bedside journal “Quit focusing, holding onto, the past- focus on what is in the present to move into the future.” I also heard instructions to share these words so the one who needs to hear will hear.

In honest confession, I know that there are things we continue to hold onto that we have been comfortable with, many of these things are not of God. I believe that because we are not doing or embracing the words of Jeremiah 29:11-13 that because of this “clinging” to these things with all our life we can not see the new thing that God is pouring out, calling us to, even reshaping and renewing our mind.

Or as I often say, “we can’t keep doing the things, the way we have always done them, and expect different results”. This is where vision, Holy Spirit, Jesus saving transforming vision comes in. This will be what will build up the Kingdom of God and unfortunately it calls us as my friend Jeremy Barkley spoke over me one time “to move into the passing lane”. I have found myself praying, “If I am to comfortable, make me uncomfortable in my faith, so I am willing to move forward.”  We must leave the past behind, the sins of the past, the desperations of the past, into the new and glorious future of what God has for us.

The Holy Spirit will speak this into our life, sometimes in a quiet gentle voice, sometimes in a loud screaming voice, sometimes in the actions we observe in others, sometimes in prayer, scripture reading, worship, regardless, God is speaking, God is renewing, God is changing us from a pile of dust into a glorious creation.

So now, how will you respond?

(Song suggestion to listen to – Goodness of God – by Bethel Music)