Hearing the Word

JOHN 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

While I was teaching at a woman’s shelter, I met a young lady who told me how she came to be there: she didn’t listen to God! She was getting on the bus, leaving from her parents’ home, and the LORD told her to go back. She disobeyed and took the bus. And then she ended up in this shelter.

On the other hand, another friend was leaving her husband who was a mean drunk. Her father and her brother came to move her out-of-state and she was all-packed up. That night, she woke up from a God-dream and the LORD told her not to leave. She knew that this was the LORD. Dreams from the LORD are very different. She obeyed. Her husband drinking problem soon stopped.

EPH 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

HEARING the WORD

In a crisis situation, the LORD may warn His people and give them His direction through a dream, a word from the LORD, a word from wise counselors, signs along the way, or a word from the Scriptures.

But the LORD, if we listen, is speaking to us daily the same way: through a dream, a word from the LORD, a word from wise counselors, signs along the way, or a word from the Scriptures.

The most important means is the Scripture, the Word of God. He speaks to us through the Word. He “highlights” a Scripture! But both of these ladies might not have been reading daily the Word of God. The LORD did not want them to make these tragic mistakes so He used another means to get their attention!

One disobeyed and one obeyed.

1SAM 15:22b “… Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice …”

WORD or DAVAR

“Word” or “davar” in the Hebrew ( H1697 דִּבְרֵ֣י ) means also in context “command”, “speech”, “promise”, “to act” and other meanings.

From “52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know” by Dave Adamson

“Our response [to the Word of God] must be to davar – to act – on what we read. We are supposed to respond, to ‘do and obey’ …”

EXO 24:7 Then he [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they [the Israelites] said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.”

HEAR or SHEMA

“Hear” or “shema” in the Hebrew ( H8085 שמע ) means to hear or listen and act upon it to obey!

This is the “hear” in the greatest commandment following:

DEUT 6:3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 4“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

We should hear and keep the command to obey the LORD. How can we better keep this great commandment? How can we better serve the LORD? It is He who died for us that we may live! And according to what we do on this earth for the LORD and His Kingdom, there are crowns in heaven awaiting us!

REV 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

PEACE or SHALOM

PSA 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Peace is also how a Christian “hears” from God. If one has peace about a given situation in the spirit, that would be “hearing” from God. On the other hand, when one does not “feel right” about it in the spirit, it’s an indication that it would be a wrong choice.

One must learn to discern between the spirit and the soul or flesh!

1COR 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Follow peace. Follow the shalom of God.

PERFECT PEACE

At church, a friend who is seldom sick, was feeling just fine. That afternoon, she unexpectedly began coughing up blood and checked herself into the emergency room. However, the LORD, in the midst of this crisis, had told her that she would NOT DIE at this time. Now she had the perfect peace of God! When the LORD tells you something, you can take it to heart. The hospital staff asked her if she was worried. She confidently told them what the LORD had spoken to her and therefore she was not at all anxious.

While she was in the hospital, she coded for maybe two minutes. She had an out-of-body experience* and saw herself lying there on the hospital bed. But she had peace!

This dear sister in Christ didn’t die! She was out of the hospital in about a week. But she now has a wonderful testimony about how the LORD spoke to her in this crisis situation.

PHIL 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

NOTE: *If one is not saved and/or practicing occult rituals, an out-of-body experience could be the means by which some devil could sever our physical life. Don’t play around with this as some pagans do, thinking they are in control. If one dies without Christ, you have no life – only death!

“HIGHLIGHTING”

Many years ago, at a convention, a musician was going over some of my songs. He inquired about the chording. I actually didn’t know anything about chords. He was somewhat shocked, asking me if I played piano. At that time, I didn’t. He told me that I need to take piano. But when he said this, there was something unusual about this word. It seemed to be “highlighted”! This was a Word from God! “You need to take piano!” I knew beyond all doubt, that this word definitely was from God. I came home and began to take piano lessons. I obeyed God. Thank God, I did. Now, since then, I’ve written many, many songs. I was a music minister, and played piano at church and conferences. That would have been impossible if I had not obeyed the voice of God. Yet this Word of God came through a musician.

Christian music by Carolyn Anne Venable may be heard on Spotify, Pandora, Apple and other music apps.

CONCLUSION

Yeshua spoke these words to some religious leaders, the Pharisees, while here on earth:

JOHN 8:47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Are you “not of God”? I hope that everyone reading this is born-again of the spirit of God. However, if you’re not, you can come to faith in the LORD.

Hearing from God is essential to the Christian life. If you haven’t heard from the LORD lately, maybe you’re not listening!

A word from the LORD can come through His Holy Scriptures. That’s the way many Christians “hear” from the LORD. Reading or listening to the Bible daily is a good way to start the day.

If you are not willing to read or listen to His Word, His communication to us, what does that say about you, your spiritual life?

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READING the BIBLE:

If this is the first time, I usually recommend that one starts in the Book of John, but there are no set rules. There are also plans to read the Bible.

Please get in a good church that preaches the whole Word of God. Sadly, many churches are deviating from the Scriptures, wanting to be “politically correct” and not based on the Word of God. (See The LORD’s Warning: “Come Out!”)