Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. – Numbers 9: 17-18
When I was in college, I had a wonderful friend named Evette.
When Evette was a few weeks away from graduating, we hung out and I asked her what she was planning to do after she graduated.
As we stood at a crosswalk, she shrugged her shoulders and casually said “I don’t know. Whatever God tells me to do…”
I thought to myself, Well, that’s not a very good answer. What’s this girl gonna do with her life?!
But her answer to my question was crucial.
I wish I’d known then that if you don’t learn how to discern God’s voice and if you don’t take heed to follow the path He’s designed for you, the consequences can be dire and devastating.
When you don’t know how to discern God’s voice, you can:
- Marry the wrong person
- Take the wrong job
- Keep the wrong friends
- Live in the wrong place
- Go to the wrong school
- And the list goes on…
So how do you know when you’re living in accordance with God’s will and moving in the right direction?
Well, you do three things:
1) You spend time with God through reading His word, 2) You Pray, and 3) You pay attention.
God speaks to people in different ways, but when He speaks to you, you’ll know it. It’s hard to explain, but trust me, you’ll know.
For me, God tends to speak through dreams and through intense intuition. I always pray afterward, and I always get confirmation.
And He’ll guide you too if you’re willing to follow Him.
He’ll never lead you in the wrong direction.
Be blessed,
Alexia
Amen Alexia, discerning the voice of God is critical to make sure we are following His Will for our lives and not our own. It will save us much heartbreak and frustration. I pray everyday that God leads and guides me.
You know, this is something I struggle with. I have made some terrible life altering decisions by not seeking God for his will for my life. In the past I’ve done what I wanted to do and not what God wanted me to do. I must do better. My prayer is that I will listen and be obedient when God speaks. Thank you for sharing this.
Hey Mo! Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’ve made some catastrophic mistakes because I was stubborn and refused to listen when God spoke to me. But I think the closer we move to God, the further we move away from our past and our mistakes. I pray that God really speaks to you and gives you comfort in knowing that He is a powerful redeemer who can more than makeup for any human error you’ve made in the past.