CAN YOU HEAR GOD SPEAKING?
If you have great wisdom and know all there is to know, what point would it be in the Lord, giving you a word of wisdom? When you know what to do, why would the Lord tell you what to do?
The highly educated people who depend on their mind as a computer to reason things out may not believe God for a word of wisdom or to give them a supernatural solution to their problem. It becomes plain, that the common people hear Him gladly. It is because they are listening and expecting to hear His voice.
A group of Spirit-filled laymen went into a savage country in Timor. They were listening for God's voice and heard it. His sheep know His voice. There is no question about God speaking. Some self-sufficient people are not tuned in to hear.
God told this group to sleep beside the road. After a few nights the natives came out and wanted to know why they slept in the open. They replied, "Our Master gave us these instructions." They would not tell the natives the name of their Master.
The natives called the officers, who in turn demanded to know the name of their Master. The Christians told the officers they would tell the name of their Master only if the officers would gather one thousand people together. The officers consented to do so.
After a thousand people came together the Christians opened their mouth and told them about the Master who is Jesus Christ. The natives sent for the priest. The priest said they all knew Christ. The Christians said, "If you have Christ, you will burn your idols." The priest said, "We have no idols. These images are only the disciples, saints and Mary." These Christian laymen heard God's voice again. The Lord told the laymen to throw out a challenge.
They told the priest, "If these are idols, then fire will fall from heaven and burn them." After the idols were gathered up, the supernatural fire fell from heaven and burned them all into ashes. Many natives repented that day. They turned to Christ and burned their idols.
We do as God leads. He has a purpose in each miracle He performs. We pray until God gives us a word of wisdom through you to prove His power or to make you look like a great person. He has a purpose in all He does. It is the humble people that hear His voice. He does not use those who are proud.
God not only speaks to us, but He also sends angels. If we don't realize our need of an angel we won't be likely to see one. High and mighty people who feel self-sufficient may not be visited by a supernatural being.
Joshua was in the middle of a battle when he detected an angel by His side. Gideon was hiding from an enemy, trying to get food to keep from starving that an angel appeared to him. Jesus was in the wilderness fighting with the devil when angels came to His rescue. When He was fighting the forces of hell, with sweat as great drops of blood rolling down His face, angels came and ministered unto Him. When Peter was in jail facing execution, an angel came and let him out of prison.
If you have no battles, problems, trouble, or difficulties, why would an angel come to your rescue? It is not the proud self-sufficient people that have need of divine protection. It is the common people.
God did not use the knowledge of men to fill the ark. All the educators and intellectuals could not have brought them in by a miracle. Then He got the glory. Noah's part was faith and obedience. The miracle was God's part.
All the educators could not figure out how to roll back the Red Sea. Moses part was faith and obedience. God's part was to roll the waters. When Moses did his part, God did His.
The Lord is not going to use riches to evangelize this world. He will use people like you and me. When He performs a miracle and does it by the gifts of the Spirit, then He will get the glory.
When He multiplied the loaves and the fishes and fed the multitude by a miracle, then He received the glory. The wealthy men didn't do it. When you sacrifice and put a hundred dollars of your hard earned into God's mission program, the Lord will perform a miracle and save and heal people. He will perform a miracle and give you the money back by a miracle. God will be glorified in two ways.
When the Lord multiplied the oil for the widow woman in debt, then He received the glory in Elisha's life and her life. He did not use a wealthy man to do this. The wealthy man would receive the credit.
Elijah, the widow woman, the son, and all the city was blessed supernaturally when the meal multiplied in the barrel. The Lord had a purpose in multiplying the meal.
The Lord usually raises up plowboys and ditch diggers to do the job. The Lord called fishermen, shepherds, and just plain men into His work. Paul was an exception. Even Paul had to be worked over and humbled by much suffering in order to be used by God. The Lord has a plan for you. Listen to Him!
The unbeliever says, "Show me and I'll believe." God says, "Believe and I'll show you.
Dr. J. Gardner