Apples of Gold

Listening for the voice of God is an important part of every believer’s life. Most often I hear his voice in the written word. Scriptural principals pierce my heart or flow like a healing balm over a painful wound. One of the few times that I heard God’s voice clearly occurred during my freshman year of Bible college. 

At the end of an evening chapel service I was worshiping and praying when a totally unexpected directive came from the Lord. It was so clear that it almost seemed audible: “Wait for Brad”. The words were few but the directive was clear to my heart. There were quite a few Brads on campus but I knew exactly which one was being referenced. I was a tad confused and with “great, unwavering faith”, my response was “But God, he doesn’t even know who I am”.  While Brad and I had casually met, we were far from friends and barely even acquaintances. I was sure enough that God had spoken to my heart that I ended the current relationship I was in with an explanation that could probably earn an award for the most awkward breakup ever!

I spent the next 3 years on a roller coaster that would rival any found at Cedar Point. While God had given me instructions, he didn’t choose to share those with my future counterpart and I certainly wasn’t planning to either. 

The summer before I began my senior year I had some serious questions for the Lord. While Brad and I had become very good friends, spending countless hours talking and getting to know each other, there was no hint of anything more coming out of it. In fact, Brad inferred nothing would. One day I came before the Lord with the reminder that I was getting ready to graduate and potentially leave the country. It felt like a now or never moment. 

I enquired if it might be possible that God had been testing my willingness to obey and had perhaps changed his mind. As my prayer time drew to an end I headed out the driveway to the mailbox. I found a letter, incidentally, I believe it was the only letter I ever received from this person, but the timing was unmistakably supernaturally coordinated. 

On that envelope my friend had written a verse that sent chills through me:

God is not a man, that he should lie. Nor a son of man, that He would change HIs mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19

That was enough for me to stop questioning, repent for my unbelief,  and assume a posture of trust in the middle of uncertainty. 

It wasn’t long into my senior year that Brad and I began dating, and, as those who know me already realized, we did get married and entered full-time ministry as a team. 

Besides being a pretty cool story, it demonstrates a very important principle:

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Proverbs 30:5

God doesn’t make mistakes, he doesn’t lie, he doesn’t change his mind arbitrarily. God fulfills his promises every single time. 

Ok, so if God said it we can take it to the bank. It is as good as done. But what about things that have been spoken by others, often leading off with “Thus saith the Lord”, that have yet to be fulfilled. I personally have several of these that I wonder about. 

While I would never want to give up on a word from the Lord, what if some of these were actually well meant assumptions on the part of the speaker and attributed to God? 

As a logical person, this is a difficult path for me to navigate. God often doesn’t write my directions in the sky, or speak clearly and directly to me. I often feel more aligned with this:

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him-though he is not far from any of us. Acts 17:27

Finding God’s will can feel more like a high stakes game of Blind-Man’s Bluff, perhaps even blended with Marco Polo!

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. 1 John 4:1

Waiting on God is never wasted time. Clinging to something he didn’t actually speak can be.

Even godly believers, with the best of intentions can get it wrong. When someone speaks over you in the name of God it is a good idea to chew before you swallow! 

May God give us the wisdom and discernment to know the difference!

Remember the things I have done in the past For I alone am God! I am God and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens, Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Isaiah 46:9-10