I have a dear friend who has shared with me a few times recently about the pressure she feels to take certain actions in her life. Whether she feels pressure from the world around her, or her own flesh, or even Satan, I do not know. I only know she does not feel the pressure from the Lord, but nor is she able to hear clearly from him because of her focus on the pressure she feels. In my study today of Galatians 2 in the Bible, I saw a strong warning against making decisions based on the world around us.
Dear Father, Please forgive me for how much of my life I have sought every voice but yours, I have been distracted by every voice but yours, and I have obeyed so many voices but yours. You know I still struggle daily with being focused, with setting my eyes and heart and ears on you and keeping my attention on you. Please Father, please teach me, help me, strengthen me, equip me, to turn off the noise of the world, the flesh, and Satan, so that I can hear your voice clearly – and obey. Father, you know I used to pray that you would “speak to me clearly.” Then, I realized you ALWAYS speak to me clearly. The issue is not the clarity of your voice, but it is my ability and dedication to hear. Oh Lord, I love you! I love you! I love you forever and ever. Amen!
Paul rebukes Peter for being influenced by the world around him. He confronts Peter about making decisions based on human beings. Specifically, Peter decides his actions based on those around him. He is obviously more concerned with what people will say and do than with what the Lord desires and what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
11 “Now when Peter[a] had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you[b] compel Gentiles to live as Jews?[c] 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” – Galatians 2
We live in a world with a voice that does everything possible to be heard over the voice of the Lord. We have human flesh that does its best to be louder than the voice of the Lord also. And certainly Satan does everything possible to raise his volume high enough to cause humans to tune out the voice of the Lord.
But regardless of the volume, the distractions, the temptations, the noise, the pressures of everything but the Lord, there is at the end of the day only one true voice that was created to be heard, and valued, and honored, and respected, and obeyed above all else. The voice of the Lord.
Like my dear friend, I often battle with the pressures, the volume, the distractions, the temptations that come against the voice of the Lord, and yet I am reminded that I have a responsibility to tune out the noise of the world and listen, and hear, and obey, the voice of the love of my life. The Lord.
13 “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love theLord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.” – Deuteronomy 11
I ENCOURAGE YOU to pay attention to whose voice you listen, and to whose voice you obey. If you find like so many of us that you are paying attention to the voice of the world, the flesh, and Satan, and making your decisions based on these temptations, distractions, and noise, then return to the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and “hearken diligently” to His voice. The Bible says that if we love the Lord, we obey Him. How can we obey whom we do not hear? Why not find a quiet place, a quiet time, and listen to the voice of the Lord God almighty?
Please visit Walk by Faith Ministry at https://www.walkbyfaithministry.com.
5 Comments
Regards just for the excellent knowledge right here component web-site, can be found in tiny little ask weblog tv audience. Just who mentioned this excellent provide? . . . .Relationship are mindful, want should be type. That doesn’t be jealous of, but there’s more brag, boastful. It’s not necessarily obnoxious, it is not self-seeking, many years merely angered, this can carries not at all all time high of most errors. Real love ceases to appreciate hateful rejoices utilizing specifics. This method automatically safeguards, ensure you trusts, continually wishes, be sure you perseveres.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Actually rarely do you encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve got hit the nail to the head. Your thought is outstanding; the catch is something inadequate individuals are speaking intelligently about. We are happy i always found this during my search for some thing relating to this.
It’s not that I want to duplicate your website, but I really like the design and style. Could you let me know which design are you using? Or was it custom made?
Thank you for a fantastic in addition to informative write-up We genuinely value all the effort that went into the producing.
I was searching all over a blog article like that.