Article March 30, 1998 Issue

Safe when we hear and heed God's direction

Help you can count on is right at hand.

By Lynn Gray Jackson

Have you ever heard people say that the reason they did something that turned out to be the right or helpful thing to do was simply that they felt they should? Usually they can't explain why they felt that way, but they knew they should listen to and follow through on what they were feeling. I've had that happen to me. And when I've followed that impulsion, I've felt very right about it.

Often, what's really happening is that we're hearing God's guidance. We might think of hearing or listening to God as an awareness of His presence. God is constantly speaking to us, but at times it may seem hard to hear His voice clearly. If that's the case, it helps to follow this instruction from the Bible: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).

Being still and acknowledging that God is God doesn't necessarily mean quieting our surroundings. It means quieting our thought. One way to do this is to pray, humbly asking, "What is it, Father, that You would have me know about You and Your direction? What do I need to understand better?" Doing this helps shut out self-will, confusion, and all the clamor that, like static on the radio, interferes with listening closely to God.

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