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Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?"
He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
~ Genesis 4:9 (NKJV)
And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! ... I shall be hidden from Your face ..."
~ Genesis 4:13-14 (NKJV)
When I read this passage, I am astonished that Cain could stand in the face of God, blatantly lie, and show such flippant audacity.
Then I am forced to ask myself how often the Holy Spirit confronts me plainly, and I feign uncertainty that I hear His voice, or I have the audacity to not heed His promptings at once.
And it is more than I can bear to wonder what blessings I forfeit as a consequence.
Lord, please keep us mindful to respond to Your Spirit's voice as if we could see Your face.
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Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
The worst is when I get confused whether a message is coming from God or just something inside me. This is why I've found it so valuable to remain in the Word (remain in me)...It clears things up.
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
It is very scary to think about. I'm so thankful for forgiveness and His grace to help in the good and the bad times. Thanks Anne.
ReplyDeleteWendy ~
ReplyDeleteThough I spoke of the times when I know it is God's Holy Spirit prompting me, there are definitely other times when we can be uncertain if we discern the voice of the Spirit. You absolutely nailed the right response: the Holy Spirit will not direct what is contrary to God's Word, and we must be clear on what is written there.
PS to Wendy ~
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm writing tomorrow's post, which will speak to the same subject again.
Jason ~
ReplyDeleteWe surely fear God too little.
I am interested to see where you go with this. God speaks so softly to me I find I have to listen really closely to discern whether or not it's really His voice or my own. I am "prone to wander" so I feel this is His way of keeping me close. Sometimes He speaks to my husband and not to me to teach me to trust my husband's judgment.
ReplyDeleteJenn ~
ReplyDeleteMy post for tomorrow addresses the most fundamental way to discern truth and the voice of the Spirit, through God's Word. How to know when I hear the Spirit's voice, my own soul, or the enemy? Besides the Word, I've found that the more quiet time I spend in the presence of God, the more often and the more clearly I hear His voice. When a critical issue is before me, I will spend time in prayer and fasting, both to quench the voice of self, and to refresh myself with biblical truth to counter any lies I've been fed.
As for the voice of my husband, I do trust God to speak through him. But I also know that the enemy can speak through my husband if his own heart becomes vulnerable to lies. My Q&A for this Friday will address submission to authority.
Thought provoking post sis, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDenise ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here!