The world is full of noise and diverse voices.  Even our own circumstances, like symptoms in our bodies, our bank accounts, our relationships, they speak to us. How do we respond then?  Are we going to allow them to govern our everyday living?  Or are we going to press on to attend to His Word that is spirit and life (John 6:63), living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), likened to a sledgehammer that pulverizes anything that is of utmost resistance (Jeremiah 23:25), integrated as God’s armor for us to put on which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18)?  We have a choice, and God said, “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), the life that comes from every Word that proceeds from His mouth.

“And He said to them, “Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” (Mark 4:24 AMPC)

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  The more we hear, the more faith is built in us.  As God’s directive, we are to meditate His Word day and night that we may be able to observe and do according to all that is written in it. Then we shall make our way prosperous, we shall deal wisely and have good success” (Joshua 1:8).  Our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Whose Name is the Word of God, is the victory that overcomes the world (1John 5:4-5).

You and I have been invited to have a lifestyle of meditation in His Word, to pray unceasingly and in everything give thanks, so that when storms come, we are ready, prepared and fortified by the revelations of His promises.  We are not to wait until challenges come up before we put on our spiritual armor.  We train ourselves day in and day out to fight a good fight of faith, fully banking and trusting on the finished work of Jesus Christ Who came that we may have and ENJOY life, in abundance, to the full, till it overflows.

We are to be like the five bridesmaids who were sufficiently wise to take along with them extra oil in their vessels with their lamps while waiting for the bridegroom.  When he finally came, the other five foolish ones were out somewhere looking to buy oil for they ran out of it, while the five wise ones were ready, who went in with him to the marriage feast.  Once they were in, the doors were locked (Matthew 25:1-13).  So, we must keep watch, always be alert and ready in and out of season.

Obedience to His Word and what He is personally speaking to us should never be considered as a religious or legalistic activity.  Instead, it should be perceived as harvest-inclined and wisdom-oriented that postures us to victory upon victory and strength upon strength.  Obedience preserves us in the keeping power of God.  It is the kind of obedience that is fueled by our love for Him.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments.” (John 14:15).  It is our response to His amazing love, awesome goodness and unwavering faithfulness.

One day, I was caught in the midst of a conversation of what happens when we die.  Is there life after death?  What happens then?  As one of them was sharing about her own thoughts about this topic, I had my guards up as I heard His still small voice from deep within me, “Be careful what you hear!”  His Word came bubbling up saying further, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3).

It is awesome to walk in the reality of this life of being IN HIM and HIM IN ME the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  Ohh how the Holy Spirit quickened me to attend to His Word and kept my heart in peace and joy knowing that in Christ alone, I will spend eternity with Him, and not somewhere else just as the discussion went.  Ohh how heart-warming and comforting His presence is as He speaks.  Glory to God!

This is one of the outcomes when we keep meditating His Word.  It is likened to our spiritual ammunition, loaded and charged, ready to be used.  No time wasted to scavenge.  We are primed and equipped.  “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19).  But, if the reservoir of our heart is empty and not filled with His Word, we have a blank cartridge.

David, when he took on to fight Goliath, he did not defeat the giant when that smooth stone sank into his forehead.  David’s victory was guaranteed and secured when he answered Goliath words.

“And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.  So, the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:42-47)

David believed and was fully persuaded in his covenant-keeping God. He spoke and answered back the Philistine’s words, thus, his confidence was greatly rewarded.  He did not allow Goliath’s words to devour him and Who God was to him.  Instead, his spiritual sword that came out of his mouth, the one that is sharper than a double-edged sword, defeated the giant in the spirit realm before David’s sling was fired to its projected target.

You see, when our attention and affection are founded and grounded on His Word and what He is personally speaking to us, our thoughts can never be swayed to and fro, and so our lives will go, for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).

What we keep hear, we think. What we meditate on gets deposited into our spirits and eventually comes out of our mouths, for our of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths speak.

Back to my story.  I was awakened in the middle of that same night and suddenly heard from my spirit:

“Remember one of the criminals who was hanged with Jesus at Calvary?  He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43).  The voice went on and said, “Isn’t this the assurance of where you spend eternity when you are IN CHRIST?”

Was I expecting to hear His still small voice at that specific moment?  No!  Divine encounters like these are to be marked and journaled for I consider these as powerful evidences of how He cares about us watchfully and cares for us affectionately.  He keeps us within the perimeter of His preservation and protection from the opinions of the world that has the ability to tarnish our identity in Him and diminish our confidence in the truth of what His Word says.

Do you think I immediately got back to sleep after that?  No! No! No!  I was declaring those words that I heard. My heart was full of gratitude and praise.  Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God!

Let us therefore feed on our Daily Living Bread of His Word and continually live in the holy atmosphere of His presence. 

“My son, give attention to My words;
Incline your ear to My sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are LIFE to those who FIND them,
And HEALTH to all their flesh.”  (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Also, we are to keep in mind this scripture when in doubt if we hear Him speak and build up our confidence in faith that the Lord our God still speaks to today in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29)

Leave doubting avenue and live on the overcoming faith-victory lane.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for always unceasingly looking out and looking after us.  Truly we are the apple of Your eye continually attended to as You busy Yourself with our every step.  Thank You, Jesus, for the assurance that we are never left alone and forsaken.  Your finished work at the cross guaranteed us eternal life and that Your presence is ALWAYS with us.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for quickening us on how to respond when worldly voices are spoken and constantly guiding us with the revelation of the truth of God’s Word.  You are our shield and our exceedingly great reward. Amen!