Years ago when I was driving home from work, I was on the interstate (highway, expressway, freeway, or whatever you call it in your neck of the woods!). There was a box truck near me that I had a bad feeling about. It seemed to be top heavy because it was skinny and short length wise. Yet it was also tall in height. For some reason I felt the need to get away from it, so I passed it. Not long after, we were coming up on an exit that was backed up. Vehicles that were attempting to get off were stopped on the highway. So we all had to hit our brakes. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the box truck swerve to the right and then topple over on its side. I knew then that the Lord had given me that gut feeling about that truck.

As Christians we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, and He helps us to discern things that we might not normally discern on our own.

Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you…. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:16-17, 26 NIV)

We can actively listen to the Lord and seek His wisdom in our lives. When we are facing a decision or difficulty, He is there. We can pray and obtain wisdom about the situation. But there are also times when He will nudge us without our asking, such as with the box truck. It’s important to keep our spiritual ears open to the Lord’s promptings. The world around us is very noisy and we might miss something the Lord wanted to tell us because of the distractions we face.

Just as we can tune a radio into a certain channel, we can also tune our hearts to hear from the Lord. It begins by having a relationship with Him. Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Picturing Jesus as our Good Shepherd will remind us of how our Lord lovingly guides us, step by step.

Sometimes we might think that God doesn’t speak to us. We might believe that He speaks to some, but we are not part of that special group. But I assure, if you are His child, He will speak to you. We just have to learn to listen to His voice. Perhaps you could start with a small decision. Ask God which path to take. Picture both options in your mind. Do you feel a pull towards one option over the other? He will give you a sense of peace when He guides you in a certain direction.

One thing to keep in mind is that the way He wants you to go might not always make sense. But He knows best. He can see the big picture, and we can only see a small portion. Let me give you an example. Last year I had two different friends who worked at two different companies trying to get me to apply for positions at their organizations. In both cases, I would have been able to work from home. I prayed about these opportunities, but I just didn’t feel right about them. I told my friends that it wasn’t a good time, and maybe down the road I would be able to pursue it. On the outside, it might have seemed bazar. Why wouldn’t I want the opportunity to work from home? One friend even felt I might potentially get a pay raise. Fast forward about six months. The company I am with had a change of policy and I am now allowed to work from home. I was able to stay with the company that I have been with for years, I didn’t lose my benefits, and I also have the advantage that my friends’ organizations offered. Looking back I knew the Lord had helped to me hold off from jumping too quickly.

I fear at times we might jump too quickly when an opportunity seems too good to pass up. But God can see it all and He truly knows what will be best. And I also fear that sometimes God might try to speak to us, but we don’t hear Him because we are too busy or distracted. But we can pray and ask God to open our spiritual ears to His voice. When we are intentional about seeking the Lord and listening to Him, we will be amazed at how much He shows up in our lives.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3

Thank you for reading!

© 2022 Bridget A. Thomas