Isaiah 1:18 & 19 reads, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”
The Living Bible translation reads, “Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool! If you will only let me help you, if you will only obey, then I will make you rich!”
Never let guilt, condemnation, shame, or sin-consciousness keep you from coming to Him to hear what He would say to you. These verses say that once you repent of any wrongdoing, His Blood cleanses you and makes it as though you never missed it. Now you can come boldly into His Presence and hear from Him.
God invites us to “come” and talk things over with Him – not just so you can be heard, but so He can be heard. Hearing what He has to say about your life and your situations makes all the difference as to the outcome of your situations and your life. Our protection is in our hearing – but we must “come” to Him to hear. If we bypass coming, then we bypass hearing.
The more we “come to talk things over with God,” the more He will show us things to come. (John 16)
Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith comes by hearing – hearing what God is saying to us.
One of the most important things I do is to take time to hear from God before I make decisions and moves. When we hear what God says about our situation, when we hear God’s answer to a question we may have, or a direction we may need, that makes all the difference. Hearing God gives us the faith to do what He says. There is an ANOINTING on what God says – and that anointing DESTROYS the yoke!
The more we respond to God, the more we will hear.
Proverbs 4:7 tells us, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Wisdom is the principal thing. What God says is His wisdom – so that means that hearing from God is the principal thing.
There is no faith without hearing what God says. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” – hearing what God is saying to you about your situation.
Our success is in our waiting to hear before we make moves – have patience enough to wait until we hear. James 1:5 tells us, “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask.” I take time to get things clear in my spirit before I make decisions and make moves in my life and in the ministry. Some think that taking time is wasting time, but it’s our safety.
When God is leading you to do something, the more you think about it, the more you will get a good feeling on the inside of you – a velvety feeling. If you shouldn’t do something, the more you consider it, the more it won’t seem right or won’t seem to fit. This is something that you will recognize “over time.” But if you move too fast, you won’t even give yourself enough time to recognize this.
Being adamant is not faith – that’s presumption. What’s presumption? Moving ahead without asking Him, thinking you already know without asking Him. To move ahead without having God’s mind on it is to forge ahead with only your mind – now you’re at the disadvantage.
Psalm 127:1 warns us, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it….” We don’t want anything He didn’t build. If we build anything apart from Him, it will be vain labor.
Proverbs 19:2 reads, “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.” The Living Bible translations reads, “It is dangerous and sinful to RUSH into the unknown.” Verse 3 goes on to state, “A man may ruin his chances by his own foolishness and then blame it on the Lord!” The Amplified Classic translation reads, “Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark.” To be overhasty and miss it is not only inconvenient, but this verse says that it’s a sin!
It’s expensive to miss God. Accuracy is key! Hearing from God is the key to accuracy! Hearing takes time – being away from distractions enough to hear. Some are too busy to hear! Speedy decision-making is not recommended, nor is it to be prized as a strength. It’s not a sign of skill; it’s a weakness to move ahead without hearing. To move ahead without clarity is lack of skill.
Knowing what God says gives faith to move ahead, and hearing from Him is your strength.
When you know what God has said to you, then you have a “ready answer” when opposition shows up – because opposition will show up! You tell the opposition what God said. There is an anointing on what God says, and that anointing destroys the yoke – but you have to answer any opposition with what God says.
At times, we have all missed it, and God is able to help us out of the wrong place if we recognize that we missed it and repent. If we missed it by “not talking to God,” the only right way out of the mess is to “talk to God” – He has a plan for your deliverance.
To hear how He is leading you, take time to feed on His Word, to worship Him, and to spend time in prayer before making decisions. As you do, you will hear from Him through that inward witness. Don’t try to hear a voice or look to have a spectacular leading. Just follow the inward witness – follow the peace in your heart, regardless of what your mind may say.
When you take time to get things clear in your spirit, hearing how He’s leading you, the faith to move ahead will be there.