Author: vbj2r

📖 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” — Galatians 6:10 (KJV).
Every day presents us with opportunities—some obvious, others subtle—to do good. Paul’s instruction in Galatians is not just moral advice; it is a spiritual investment strategy. He reminds us that doing good is not optional for the believer—it is purposeful, timely, and eternally significant.
To “do good” is to sow seeds. And Scripture consistently teaches that what we sow, we will reap (Galatians 6:7–9). But here’s the remarkable truth: God’s economy is not like man’s. When we invest in kindness, generosity, encouragement, and service, the return is not merely equal—it is multiplied. A small act done in faith can produce a harvest far greater than we imagine, both in this life and in eternity.
Think of a farmer: he plants one seed but expects a harvest of many. In the same way, every act of goodness—especially toward fellow believers—carries exponential potential in God’s hands.
⚖️ The Weight of Knowing Good
But there is another side to this truth.
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” — James 4:17 (KJV)
Knowing what is right creates responsibility. When God opens our eyes to an opportunity to help, to give, to speak life, or to stand for truth—and we ignore it—we are not neutral. We are withholding a seed that should have been sown.
The consequence is not just missed reward—it is spiritual loss. We lose:
The joy of obedience
The impact we could have made
The multiplied blessing that follows faithful sowing
Over time, repeated neglect can dull our sensitivity to God’s voice, making it easier to pass by the next opportunity.
🌾 Living With Eternal Perspective
Galatians 6:10 begins with “as we have therefore opportunity”. This reminds us that opportunities are limited windows. We don’t always get a second chance to do a particular good deed.
So the question becomes:
What am I doing with the opportunities God has already given me today?
When we start viewing good works as eternal investments:
We become more intentional
We act more quickly
We give more freely
We prioritize people over convenience
Especially within the “household of faith,” our actions strengthen the body of Christ and create ripples that extend far beyond what we see.
🙏 Prayer
Lord, help me to recognize every opportunity You place before me to do good. Teach me to sow generously, trusting that You will bring a harvest in Your time. Forgive me for the times I have known what was right and failed to act. Soften my heart, sharpen my awareness, and make me faithful in every moment. Let my life be a continual investment in what matters eternally. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
💭 Reflection Questions
What opportunities to do good have I recently overlooked or delayed?
Who in the household of faith can I intentionally bless today?
Do I truly believe that God will multiply the good I sow?

Scripture Focus (KJV)
Ecclesiastes 1:2
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”
Ecclesiastes 2:11
“Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought… and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
The Man Who Had Everything
Solomon, the preacher in writing the book of Ecclesiastes, was not speaking as a poor man wishing he had more.
He spoke as a man who had already tasted everything the world offers.
He had:
Wealth beyond measure
Wisdom unmatched in his generation
Palaces, gardens, servants, gold, and influence
Power over nations
Every pleasure a king could command
He did not observe life from the outside.
He lived it fully.
And after seeing it all and getting it all, his verdict was simple and terrifying:
“Vanity of vanities… all is vanity.”
Not some things.
All.
The Great Human Distraction
Solomon repeatedly speaks about “all the days of your vanity.”
Life under the sun is described as a vapor — temporary, fragile, fleeting.
Yet most people spend that brief vapor doing one thing:
Enjoying their vanity.
People devote their energy to:
Building reputations
Accumulating possessions
Seeking pleasure
Competing for recognition
Chasing success that cannot cross the grave
But Solomon saw the end of all those pursuits.
The applause fades.
The wealth changes hands.
The body weakens.
The memory of your name disappears.
And eternity still waits.
The Question Most People Avoid
Solomon forces a question many refuse to ask:
Are you enjoying your vanity, or preparing for eternity?
Two lives may look successful on earth, but they are radically different before God.
One life is spent entertaining the flesh.
The other is spent preparing the soul.
One builds temporary kingdoms.
The other invests in eternal reward.
One lives for what is seen.
The other lives for what will be revealed at judgment.
Solomon looked at the sum of human striving and declared:
“There was no profit under the sun.”
That means no eternal return.
The Sobering Conclusion
After exploring pleasure, work, wealth, wisdom, and power, Solomon gives the final summary:
Fear God and keep His commandments.
Everything else falls into the category he called vanity.
The tragedy of many lives is not that they lacked opportunity.
It is that they spent their lives perfecting what does not matter in eternity.
A Hard but Necessary Reflection
Ask yourself honestly:
Am I building a life that God will reward, or merely one that people admire?
Am I investing in my soul, or just improving my comfort?
If my life ended today, would I have spent more time enjoying vanity or preparing for eternity?
Solomon’s warning is not poetic exaggeration.
It is the testimony of a man who climbed to the top of earthly success and found nothing there.
Prayer
Lord,
Deliver me from wasting my life chasing vanity.
Teach me to number my days and to live with eternity in view.
Help me to fear You, obey Your word, and invest my life in what will endure beyond this world.
Let my days not be spent merely enjoying vanity, but preparing to stand before You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture Reading:
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” — Psalms 90:2 (KJV)

1. Understanding Infinity
   In mathematics, infinity describes something without limit or end. It is often represented by the symbol ∞.
   Consider the sequence of numbers:
   1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …
   No matter how far you count, another number always exists beyond the last one. The sequence has no final number.
   Likewise, the number line stretches endlessly in both directions.
   Mathematicians therefore describe infinity as unbounded continuation.
   This concept helps us grasp, in a limited way, the biblical idea of eternity.
2. God and True Eternity
   While mathematics speaks of infinite quantity, Scripture speaks of eternal existence.
   The Bible declares that God exists from everlasting to everlasting.
   “Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” — Psalms 90:2
   Unlike numbers that extend infinitely, God does not merely continue forever—He has no beginning and no end.
   Human minds struggle with this because everything we know has a starting point. Yet God’s existence stretches beyond time itself.
   In that sense, God alone possesses absolute eternity.
3. The Finite Nature of Human Life
   In contrast, human life is finite—it has limits.
   “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” — James 4:14 (KJV)
   If we imagined life mathematically, it would resemble a small segment on an endless number line.
   Our earthly years—whether 40, 70, or 100—are only a brief interval within the vast reality of eternity.
   The brevity of life stands in stark contrast to the endlessness that follows.
4. A Finite Life Meets an Infinite Future
   The Bible teaches that after death, the soul enters an everlasting state.
   “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” — Matthew 25:46 (KJV)
   Both destinies described by Christ are everlasting.
   In mathematical terms, life could be compared to a finite number, while eternity resembles infinity.
   No matter how large a finite number becomes, infinity remains infinitely greater.
   This illustrates a sobering truth:
   A short earthly life determines an endless eternal future.
5. The Weight of Eternal Decisions
   Mathematics teaches that infinity cannot be exhausted.
   If someone counted for millions of years, the infinite sequence of numbers would still stretch endlessly ahead.
   Similarly, eternity cannot be measured or completed.
   This gives profound weight to the words of Christ:
   “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” — Mark 8:36 (KJV)
   Even the greatest earthly success cannot compare with the value of a soul that will exist forever.
   A finite gain cannot compensate for an infinite loss.
6. The Urgency of Preparation
   Because eternity is unending, Scripture urges people to seek God while life remains.
   “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” — Isaiah 55:6 (KJV)
   Every passing day moves us closer to the moment when time ends and eternity begins.
   Once that moment arrives, the opportunity to change direction is gone.
   Reflection
   Consider this sobering comparison:
   Your life is like a short line drawn across an endless horizon.
   Yet what happens in that short line determines everything about the eternity that follows.
   Prayer
   Lord,
   Teach me to live with eternity in view.
   Help me not to waste the brief time You have given me.
   Give me wisdom to seek what is eternal rather than what is temporary.
   Prepare my soul to stand before You through Jesus Christ.
   Amen.

When Faith Burns the Bridges Behind It📖 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” — Book of Job 13:15 (KJV)📖 “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” — Epistle to the Hebrews 11:35 (KJV)📖 “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… But if not… we will not serve thy gods.” — Book of Daniel 3:17–18 (KJV)🔥 THE LINE THAT CANNOT BE CROSSED BACKThere is a place in God where retreat becomes impossible.Not because escape is unavailable.But because loyalty has already been sealed.Consecration at the point of no return is when:Deliverance is no longer the condition of obedience.Preservation is no longer the motive of faith.Survival is no longer the highest value.Bridges are burned behind you.You have already decided.1️⃣ JOB: TRUST BEYOND SELF-PRESERVATION“Though he slay me…”This is not poetic endurance.This is death to bargaining.Job removed all leverage from circumstance.He did not say:“Though He correct me.”“Though He test me.”He said:“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”At that moment, Job crossed the point of no return.Faith that survives when God appears silent has already surrendered the right to explanation.Consecration matures when trust no longer demands clarity.2️⃣ NOT ACCEPTING DELIVERANCE: ETERNITY OVER RELIEFHebrews records believers who:“Not accepting deliverance.”That phrase is terrifying.They were offered rescue.They refused it.Why?“To obtain a better resurrection.”They understood something many modern believers avoid:Temporary relief can sabotage eternal weight.At the point of no return, a man calculates eternity more seriously than comfort.He asks:Will this decision echo in resurrection morning?Consecration chooses glory over escape.3️⃣ “BUT IF NOT”: SOVEREIGNTY OVER OUTCOMEThe three Hebrew children made a declaration that sealed their fate:“Our God is able…”That is power.“But if not…”That is consecration.They acknowledged God’s abilityBut surrendered to His sovereignty.They removed the final safety net.The furnace did not frighten them.Compromise did.At “but if not,” they crossed the line.No bowing.No bending.No revision.The point of no return is where faith no longer negotiates with fear.🩺 THE DIAGNOSISYou have not reached the point of no return if:You obey only when outcomes are favorable.You trust only when deliverance is probable.You worship only when blessing is visible.True consecration says:If He delivers — I serve Him.If He does not — I serve Him.If He saves — I worship Him.If He slays — I trust Him.No alternative allegiance.No hidden idol.No escape clause.🔥 WHAT HAPPENS AT THIS POINT?Fire loses intimidation.Death loses authority.Threats lose leverage.Because the consecrated soul has already died to self-preservation.When you have nothing left to protect, you become spiritually unassailable.⚔️ A PIERCING QUESTIONHave you burned the bridges?Or are you still keeping a quiet exit?Consecration at the point of no return is not dramatic.It is decisive.It is when a believer settles it:I belong to Him —Unto death,Unto resurrection,Unto eternity.🙏 PRAYERLord, take me beyond negotiated faith.Strip me of conditional obedience.Deliver me from comfort-driven loyalty.Bring me to the point of no return —Where trust is irreversible,Where surrender is final,Where resurrection is my horizon.In Jesus’ name Amen.

“A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof… this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.” — Ecclesiastes 6:2
📖 Scripture (KJV)
“All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.” — Ecclesiastes 6:7
📖 Scripture (KJV)
“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me…” — Jeremiah 9:24
There is a form of poverty that does not come from lack.
It comes from plenty.
Ecclesiastes describes a man surrounded by what many people spend their lives chasing—riches, honor, and the fulfillment of desire. Outwardly, nothing is missing. Yet something deeper is absent: the power to enjoy it.
Solomon calls this condition an evil disease.
It is the strange experience of possessing much while inwardly remaining unsatisfied. The hands hold abundance, yet the heart feels empty. Life continues with constant labour, yet the appetite remains restless.
“All the labour of man is for his mouth,” the Preacher observes. Life becomes an endless cycle of striving to satisfy desire, only to discover that desire grows again tomorrow.
This is the quiet poverty that can live inside prosperity.
Ecclesiastes exposes the problem gently but honestly: human effort can gather things, but it cannot produce contentment. The ability to enjoy life is not manufactured by success; it is granted by God.
That is why Jeremiah redirects the heart away from what people normally celebrate. The greatest thing a person can glory in is not wisdom, strength, or riches, but this:
to understand and know the Lord.
When the heart knows God, abundance no longer becomes a burden and lack no longer defines the soul. Satisfaction is no longer tied to what a person possesses, but to the One who gives meaning to life itself.
The cure for the evil disease is not more wealth.
It is a heart that has discovered its true treasure.
🙏 Prayer
Lord, keep my heart from the subtle poverty that can hide within success and abundance. Deliver me from the restless appetite that labour cannot satisfy. Teach me to rejoice in the greater gift—that I may understand and know You. Amen.

A Piercing Devotional from First Epistle of John 3 (KJV)
📖 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” — 1 John 3:1
📖 “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” — 1 John 3:3
📖 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…” — 1 John 3:9
🩺 BEHOLD — STOP AND LOOK AGAIN
John does not say, understand.
He says, behold.
Pause.
Examine.
Stand still under the weight of it.
“What manner of love…”
This is not sentimental affection.
It is transforming adoption.
We are not merely forgiven criminals.
We are called sons of God.
That title is not poetic.
It is positional.
It is legal.
It is spiritual.
If you truly behold it, it will destabilize casual Christianity.
👑 SONSHIP IS NOT A LABEL — IT IS A NATURE
“Now are we the sons of God…”
Not later.
Now.
Sonship is present tense.
And sonship carries resemblance.
A son carries the DNA of the father.
John does not allow distance between identity and conduct.
If you are born of God, something changes.
Not perfection without struggle —
But transformation without excuse.
🔥 HOPE THAT PURIFIES
“Every man that hath this hope… purifieth himself.”
Hope is not passive anticipation.
It is active alignment.
If you expect to see Him,
You cannot live casually before Him.
Future glory disciplines present behavior.
Those who truly anticipate Christ’s appearing
Do not flirt with impurity.
They purify themselves.
Not to earn sonship —
But because they possess it.
⚖️ SIN AND SPIRITUAL INCONSISTENCY
John makes a statement modern ears resist:
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…”
He is not denying struggle.
If sin no longer troubles you,
Sonship must be examined.
🛡 LOVE THAT EXPOSES HATRED
John draws a sharp contrast:
Children of God
Versus
Children of the devil.
Not by profession.
By practice.
Cain murdered Abel.
Why?
Because righteousness exposes darkness.
Do not be surprised if obedience invites resistance.
The world rejected Christ.
It will resist His likeness in you.
Sonship invites conflict.
🔬 THE CONFIDENCE OF A CLEAR HEART
“If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”
The greatest spiritual boldness flows from a clear conscience.
When obedience aligns with identity,
Prayer gains authority.
A compromised life silences bold prayer.
A purified heart prays with confidence.
⚔️ A SURGICAL EXAMINATION
Are you beholding — or merely believing?
Has hope purified you — or merely comforted you?
Is sin interrupted — or accommodated?
Is love demonstrated — or declared?
Do you possess confidence before God — or quiet condemnation?
1 John 3 does not comfort casual faith.
It confronts counterfeit faith.
🔥 THE FINAL GLORY
“It doth not yet appear what we shall be…”
But this we know:
“When he shall appear, we shall be like him.”
Sonship is moving somewhere.
Toward likeness.
Toward purity.
Toward glory.
Those who truly know they are sons
Live differently now.
🙏 PRAYER
Father, let me behold Your love until it transforms me.
Destroy nominal Christianity within me.
Let hope purify me.
Let sonship define me.
Let righteousness mark me.
Let love flow from me.
And when You appear,
Let me not shrink back in shame,
But stand as one who lived as Your child.

📖 “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” — Isaiah 45:2 (KJV)
1️⃣ Presence Is Not Downloaded — It Is Deployed
God does not react to your movement.
He precedes it.
“I will go before thee.”
Before Cyrus marched, heaven had already moved.
Before resistance formed, demolition was scheduled.
Before gates closed, they were marked for breaking.
Divine Presence is not an emotional atmosphere.
It is strategic deployment.
The believer who understands this does not enter rooms hoping for favor.
He enters knowing God arrived first.
2️⃣ Crooked Places: Invisible Resistance
Crooked places are not minor inconveniences.
They are invisible distortions in systems, relationships, and structures.
They look like:
Delayed approvals
Subtle hostility
Unexplained stagnation
Doors that almost open
God does not merely strengthen you to survive crooked terrain.
He straightens it.
He alters conversations you never hear.
He shifts decisions you never attend.
He rearranges outcomes without public announcement.
When Presence is preloaded, distortion loses leverage.
3️⃣ Gates of Brass: Structural Oppositiong
Brass gates and iron bars represent entrenched resistance — fortified barriers built to keep you out.
These are:
Institutional exclusions
Financial blockades
Generational cycles
Territorial spiritual strongholds
God did not say, “You will negotiate with them.”
He said, “I will break in pieces.”
There are barriers that cannot be persuaded.
They must be shattered.
When God breaks, there is no reconstruction.
4️⃣ The Critical Distinction: Assignment vs. Ambition
This promise is not for the self-initiated.
It is for the assigned.
Many believers exhaust themselves attacking gates God never targeted.
If God has not gone before you, striving will replace rest.
Noise will replace authority.
Flesh will replace faith.
But when Presence is preloaded, advancement is clean.
It carries weight without agitation.
🔎 Surgical Reflection
Where are you striving instead of discerning?
Are you trying to break gates that heaven has not scheduled for demolition?
If the journey demands manipulation, it was not preceded by Presence.
🔥 Prayer
Lord,
Go before me.
Straighten hidden distortions.
Dismantle structural resistance.
Break gates I cannot penetrate.
Guard me from ambition disguised as calling.
Let Your Presence be preloaded in every assignment You ordain.
May I never arrive where You have not preceded me.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

A Piercing Devotional for Leaders and Believers
📖 “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” — First Epistle to Timothy 1:19 (KJV)
📖 “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” — Acts of the Apostles 24:16 (KJV)
🩺 WHAT IS A VIOLATED CONSCIENCE?
A violated conscience is not mere guilt.
It is the moment you knowingly step against light.
Not ignorance.
Not confusion.
Clarity — ignored.
Conscience is God’s internal witness.
When Scripture illuminates it and we override it,
Something fractures within.
And what fractures within eventually collapses without.
⚖️ SHIPWRECK DOES NOT BEGIN IN PUBLIC
Paul warned Timothy:
“Some… have made shipwreck.”
Shipwreck does not begin with scandal.
It begins with concession.
A truth softened.
A conviction postponed.
A warning silenced.
A compromise justified.
When conscience is muted repeatedly, it stops protesting.
And a silent conscience is a dangerous condition.
🔥 THE LEADER’S RISK
When Martin Luther stood at the Diet of Worms, he understood something many avoid:
It is safer to face empire than to violate conscience.
Why?
Because the external threat can kill the body.
A violated conscience corrodes the soul.
Ministry can continue outwardly while dying inwardly.
You may keep position.
You may retain title.
You may preserve reputation.
But authority evaporates when conscience is breached.
👑 BIBLICAL WARNINGS WRITTEN IN BLOOD
Consider King Saul.
He did not begin as a rebel.
He began with partial obedience.
He spared what God said destroy.
He justified what God condemned.
And each violation weakened his spiritual sensitivity.
Eventually, God departed.
Then paranoia ruled.
The violated conscience that once whispered became hardened.
Now consider Judas Iscariot.
His betrayal did not start with a kiss.
It began with small dishonesty.
A compromised heart tolerates greater compromise.
By the time silver was exchanged, conscience had already eroded.
And remorse came too late.
🛡 THE TRUE COST
The price of a violated conscience includes:
Loss of spiritual clarity — You no longer hear distinctly.
Loss of authority — Words lose weight.
Loss of peace — Silence becomes restless.
Loss of discernment — Wrong feels normal.
Eventual exposure — What is hidden fractures publicly.
The most terrifying judgment is not immediate punishment.
It is when God allows you to continue — unchanged.
🔬 A SURGICAL INTERROGATION
Have you:
Preached what you privately doubt?
Softened what Scripture makes plain?
Remained silent where truth demanded speech?
Adjusted theology to maintain influence?
Conscience does not die loudly.
It erodes quietly.
And erosion unnoticed becomes collapse inevitable.
🔥 THE WAY BACK
The conscience can be restored.
But restoration demands:
Immediate repentance.
Full acknowledgment.
Public correction where necessary.
Re-submission to Scripture.
The longer violation persists,
The harder restoration becomes.
Do not negotiate with conviction.
Obey it.
🙏 PRAYER
Lord, preserve my conscience.
Where I have ignored light, convict me.
Where I have compromised, correct me.
Where I have justified what You condemned, expose me.
Let me lose position before I lose integrity.
Let me lose favor before I lose authority.
Let me suffer outwardly rather than decay inwardly.
Grant me a conscience void of offence —
Toward You.
Toward men.
Amen.

📖 “Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
📖 “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice… And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee.” — 2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (KJV)
Prayer is not merely asking.
It is abiding.
It is the slow turning of the heart toward God until noise settles and presence becomes perceptible.
We often approach prayer as petitioners with urgency.
But Scripture reveals something gentler —
sons and daughters lingering before their Father.
The Stillness Before the Voice
Elijah did not find God in the wind.
Nor in the earthquake.
Nor in the fire.
📖 “After the fire a still small voice.” — 1 Kings 19:12 (KJV)
God is not absent in noise —
but He is often discerned in stillness.
Prayer requires deceleration.
The soul that is constantly reacting
cannot easily receive.
To pray contemplatively is to slow the interior life until the heart becomes attentive.
🕊 Speaking Softly Before Him
📖 “Pour out your heart before him.” — Psalm 62:8 (KJV).
There is a tenderness in honest prayer.
Not theatrical intensity.
Not spiritual performance.
But quiet truth.
Lord, this is my weakness.
Lord, this is my fear.
Lord, this is my longing.
Paul prayed thrice.
And when the answer came — it came as grace.
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Sufficient.
🌅 Listening Without Forcing
Listening is not straining to hear something mystical.
It is resting in surrendered expectation.
📖 “My soul, wait thou only upon God.” — Psalm 62:5 (KJV)
Waiting is not inactivity.
It is trust without agitation.
Sometimes the answer comes as Scripture illuminated.
Sometimes as inward peace.
Sometimes as correction.
Sometimes as quiet endurance.
Contemplative prayer accepts that God may not remove the thorn —
but He will supply Himself.
🌾 The Gentle Exchange
In true prayer:
Anxiety is exchanged for assurance.
Control is exchanged for surrender.
Weakness becomes the place where strength rests.
📖 “That the power of Christ may rest upon me.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
“Rest” implies settling.
When grace rests upon a soul,
panic departs.
The thorn may remain.
But so does God.
🌊 A Quiet Invitation
Today, do not rush your words.
Do not measure the prayer by its length.
Do not force spiritual intensity.
Sit before Him.
Speak honestly.
Wait quietly.
Receive gently.
And when He whispers,
“My grace is sufficient,”
let that be enough.

The Apostolic Faith
Our flagship publication

Hearing from God is not processing audible sounds, but opening our hearts to His words.

By Dwight Baltzell

Listening to God and then responding by obeying Him is of utmost importance, regardless of what day and age we live in. Hebrews 3:14-15 emphasizes the necessity of immediate response to God’s voice and the danger of hardening our hearts against Him. Those verses read, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

This passage refers to the failure of the Children of Israel to listen to God during their wilderness journey. In fact, they not only failed to listen and obey God, but they resisted and disobeyed Him! They had the Ten Commandments of God given to them on tablets of stone. They had the Law and many other messages from God that were delivered to them through Moses. However, they had hardened their hearts against God’s instructions and rebelled against Him. The difficulty was not with God; it never is. God speaks to man, but man must willingly listen and obey.

The enemy of our souls may attempt to make us think that the concept of God speaking to man is strange, or merely a figment of the imagination. That is false; the voice of God has been speaking to people since the Creation. God spoke to the first man, Adam, and to the first woman, Eve, long before the written Word of God existed. And He has spoken to individual hearts ever since, even if not audibly. Today, we are blessed to have the written Word of God as the primary way God communicates with man. When God’s Spirit speaks to our hearts individually as we read it, Scripture comes alive for us, and the message we hear will always align precisely with His written Word. The question is not whether God speaks; it is whether we will listen and obey.

Listen for God

Throughout God’s Word we find examples of individuals who heard from God and responded to Him. For example, consider the child Samuel. In 1 Samuel 3:1 we read, “And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.” The Word of God was “precious” because it was scarce. That was not God’s fault; His instructions were there all the time, but they went unheeded in those days. Israel had gone so far astray that few were listening to God. Even Eli the priest—the person charged with maintaining the pure worship of God—was guilty of disobeying God’s instructions.

In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we read that Hannah, the mother of Samuel, had been unable to bear children, so she promised God, “O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 1:11). And that is exactly what she did; when God gave her a son and the child was weaned, she brought him to the Temple to minister to the Lord. God needed someone who would listen and obey because Eli had failed to do so, and that person was Samuel.

It was there in the Temple complex that God spoke to Samuel, calling his name as he was sleeping. The lad was accustomed to listening to instructions and obeying. When he heard his name, he arose and went to Eli the priest, saying, “Here am I.” However, Eli had not called him, so he told Samuel to go back and lie down. God called Samuel’s name again, and then the third time, Eli finally realized that it was God who had spoken to the young boy. He told Samuel, “Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place” (1 Samuel 3:9). When God called Samuel the next time, he listened, and then God gave him an important message of coming judgment.

Though the Children of Israel and their leaders had ig

nored God’s message, in Samuel He found someone willing to listen. Today, God is looking for that quality in us as well.

Fully obey

Our responsibility when God speaks is to listen and obey. Samuel did so, and his nation was blessed for it. We do not want to be guilty of what is sometimes referred to as “selective hearing”—when a person focuses on certain words but filters out others. That may or may not matter much in our daily environments, but it matters a great deal when it comes to God. We want to hear and heed all of what God says to us!

We find an example of what might have been selective hearing in the account of Saul when he was given instructions from God to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites and all they had, not even sparing their livestock. When Samuel came to the place of sacrifice, Saul told him, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:13). However, that was not the case, and Samuel asked, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear?” Saul had ignored the part of God’s command that instructed him to “utterly destroy.” Because of his failure, Samuel told him, “Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23).

Everything God tells us is for our good. When we receive instructions from Him and do not obey, negative consequences will follow. When we obey, we can count on His blessing. How important it is to take seriously everything He says to us.

Keep listening to God

Another man who heard from God was the prophet Elijah—he learned and then relearned the importance of listening to God’s voice. We read about the events of his life in the Book of 1 Kings. After announcing to King Ahab that the rain in Israel would cease, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, directing him to go hide himself by the brook Cherith. He obeyed and was miraculously fed by ravens there. When the brook dried up, Elijah listened when God instructed him to go to Zarephath, where a widow would sustain him. Sometime later, God told him to go show himself to Ahab again, and that He would send rain. Then we read of the showdown between 450 prophets of Baal against that one man of God, Elijah. What an incredible event that was! Though the false prophets called repeatedly upon their god to send fire, there was no response. But when Elijah prayed, God sent fire that consumed not only the sacrifice, but also the stones of the altar, the wood, the dust, and even the water in the trench around it!

In response, the wicked queen Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah. So, the prophet fled for his life and went into the wilderness, eventually arriving at Horeb, the mount of God. As he lodged there in a cave, God spoke to the prophet, asking, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” Elijah listened when God told him, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:9,11). A mighty wind came, and then an earthquake, and then a fire. However, the wind didn’t give direction. The earthquake rumbling didn’t help him. There was no message in the fire. But then came a “still, small voice”—the voice of God. That voice connected with Elijah’s soul.

The weary prophet said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” But God responded, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:14,18). God didn’t call those seven thousand to rally around the prophet, but Elijah knew the voice of God. Once again, he listened to God’s instructions and obeyed, going from Mount Horeb and anointing the three people identified by God for specific tasks.

No matter how long we have been walking with the Lord or how much He has brought us through, we are never finished listening for God’s voice. If we do so, He will guide us through all th

e ups and downs of life, just as He did for Elijah.

God speaks to all hearts

A number of years ago when our family was living in Chehalis, Washington, a little boy named Robbie King got up to sing during Sunday school. He was wearing a straw hat and carrying a fishing pole, and he sang, “God talks to little boys while they’re fishing.” I thought, That’s exactly right. He speaks to all of us! He called the disciples from fishing and from tax collecting. He spoke to Moses on the mountain, to young Samuel in the Temple, and to Elijah in front of a cave. God talks to little boys and girls, to young people, to parents, to those who are getting up in years. The voice of God can come to us whatever our occupation or location, and regardless of what is going on in the world. Circumstances do not change the fact that God speaks. That’s never changed!

When Jesus walked this earth, in the middle of his preaching He often said, “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.” He made it clear that His message was for anyone willing to listen, and He meant more than just processing audible sounds—He wanted them to open their hearts to His words. In Revelation 3:20-22 we read these words from Christ: “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

Thank God that He still speaks to hearts. We do not want to miss out on hearing from Him. Just as God repeatedly called Samuel, faithfully instructed Saul through Samuel, and patiently guided Elijah, He will speak to our hearts and lead us if we will simply listen and obey. We want to benefit from His instructions in every area of our lives, and we certainly want to hear the Trumpet sound that announces the Rapture, when He comes to take away those who are ready to meet Him in the air.

God will speak! The question is: Will we listen and obey His voice?

Dwight Baltzell was the Superintendent General of the Apostolic Faith Church from 1993 to 2000. He currently serves as a minister at the headquarters church in Portland, Oregon.

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