Understanding Our Calling

As we try to discern God's will, we have to learn to recognize His voice. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. He spoke to Esther through her cousin Mordecai and to Daniel through his dreams.

Does God speak to us today? Absolutely! God continually speaks to us throughout our day. However, because life occurs at such a fast pace, we often don't recognize it, we often miss it, or we even dismiss it as a thought to reflect upon at a later date.

To help us learn to recognize God's voice, there are five B's...

1. Be familiar with God's voice. Study His conversations with others in the Bible. Understanding His ways helps us to discern whether or not what we are hearing is consistent with His message given to us in scriptures.
2. Be focused. Throughout the day, reflect on God's Word, sing spiritual songs and focus on the mind of God.
3. Be prepared. Always carry a journal and a Bible. Be prepared to record thoughts that God impresses upon your heart. Read along when the scriptures are read, and be open to other verses that God may show you.
4. Be ready. Expect God to communicate with you. When you ask a question, expect an answer. We may read it, hear it, see it, feel it, or even write it. When God speaks to us, our heart will know it, and others will confirm it.
5. Be willing to listen to God in all circumstances. He will tells us of His love, but He will also tell us if our way is not His way.

When God called Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, they responded to Him because they heard His voice. Abraham said that he would go, Moses said that he was afraid, Isaiah said that he was not worthy, and Jeremiah said that he was too young. They expressed their concerns to God, and because they expected Him to answer, He was able to reassure them. God continued to reveal His plans and use all of them for His purpose because they heard His voice, and they were willing to listen.