Are you struggling to hear GOD’S Voice?
A vast majority of Christians struggle to hear GOD’S Voice. In order to be led by The Holy Spirit, you must be able to hear. To the degree that you hear and respond accordingly, determines your level of maturity. I have both heard with clarity and have been unable to hear. It not that The Holy Spirit wasn’t speaking, I simply wasn’t listening. I had become lazy and focused elsewhere.
Jesus addressed the problem that I was experiencing in the parable of the Sower as He explained in Luke chapter 8:
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Verse 14 applies to believers, including me. Anxious cares, riches of this world, and fleeting pleasures of life, have drawn us away from our focus on The Word, whether written or spoken. This group does not have a hard heart (the hard soil), it was dealt with in verse 12.
Notice that there was fruit, but it didn’t mature. The lack of discipline and commitment are two reasons for lack of maturity of fruit. I have been guilty in both areas.
Why didn’t the fruit mature? The soil received many seeds that competed for the nutrients contained in the soil. Thorns grow fast and require those nutrients.
As a result, they choke out the Word.
Jesus described the thorns as anxious cares, riches of this world, and fleeting pleasures of life. Each of us must make a critical assessment of where we are in our mindset. What are we consistently focused on? What are we feeding our minds?
In this case, I receive what FATHER has planted in my heart, but I also receive other appealing thoughts, perspectives, and ideas from the world. I didn’t have an issue with hearing GOD’S Voice, but I also received this another idea, a backup idea, in case GOD’S idea doesn’t work. My mind would reason that when I saw others who had the same promise and GOD didn’t fulfill the promise in their lives, I need a backup a backup plan as well, the essence of compromise.
Our problem is that we give ourselves to other things that are not the result of GOD’S Word, HIS Voice to us. What happens is that we entertain ideas and thoughts that become planted in us that rob from the soil the nutrients needed by The Word of GOD to bring forth good fruit.
The potential was there to produce the likeness and nature of GOD through that seed which was spoken. We have the responsibility to protect our hearts from the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. Once I entertain an alternative, the choking begins, and failure is at hand.
Maintaining the proper focus is the issue!
Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 14:
23 And when Jesus had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
24 But the boat with the disciples was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Peter responded to The Word but then considered the wind and waves. His focus changed from responding to The Word, to considering and focusing on the boisterous wind.
Thorns are rapidly growing seeds of doubt and will choke The Word if given the chance.
The word cares means divided mind or distraction. If we are being distracted from hearing the Voice of GOD, we must remove what is distracting us!