I’m
in awe every single time I hear the voice of God. It never gets old or
boring, and never ceases to amaze me. Most often, God speaks clearly to
me through His Word. Not necessarily when I’m frantically searching for an answer to
a specific question, but when I am just reading, enjoying
His presence and listening for how God’s Spirit wants to speak to me
through the Scripture.
The Lord brought me to tears recently – His voice whispering sweetly to
me during a time of unsettledness. You see, I was a bit worried. Trying
not to be, but sinking steadily into a pool of anxiety. In less than two
weeks, I will be speaking to a group of women gathering in Florida for a
Going Beyond Event. I might feel fine about that – no more than the
normally twisty feeling of nervousness that I sense when I’m preparing
to stand on a platform. But this feeling was different – because this
event will be different.
We’ll be simulcasting into over 350 different churches who have signed
up to participate in this conference with us. There will be nearly
80,000 women from all over the world joining us from different locations
in the States and abroad. That is almost too much for me to fathom.
And, for a few moments, I was overwhelmed with fear.
What will I say?
What will I wear?
How can I offer something meaningful to so many women?
I know for certain some of you have felt this same way – as you’ve
prepared for a Bible study or a function you were preparing for. Haven’t
you asked these same questions? It’s a worry that can sneak up on you
and then rob you blind – of your sleep, your solace and your ability to
concentrate on anything else.
And with that sense mounting, I slipped into God’s Word for my daily
reading (I’m reading the Bible through in a year.) One of my passages
that day was Exodus 19. Israel, freed from Egypt and fresh in the
journey to Canaan, has camped in the dessert of Horeb and has the holy
mountain of God – Mt. Sinai – in their sights. Their newly called
leader, Moses, is before them. And this is what happens:
verse 3 – Moses when up to God . . .
verse 9 – The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick
cloud so that the people may hear when I speak with you. . .
There it was – a clear word for me amidst the happenings of the rest of
the chapter. My heart burned and my spirit confirmed that this was God
speaking directly to me through the story of another leader who had
people waiting to receive guidance and direction. Moses wasn’t concerned
about what he’d say or not say, or how he would effectively lead and
minister to these 2 million pilgrims, he just “went up to God” . . . and
God took care of the rest. Yahweh would allow the people to be
ministered to out of the overflow of the conversation He’d have with his
servant. God would allow them to hear.
I knew God was telling me – plain and simple – to “come up to Him” and allow Him to take care of the rest.
I cried – got down on my knees in fact – couldn’t help it.
I slept in peace that night – resting in God’s Word. I was grateful.
And if that weren’t enough, my phone rang the next day. A friend was
just calling to check on me, but also wanted to share with me what she
sensed God had laid on her heart. She said simply, “Priscilla, God just
wants you to rest. Don’t worry. Don’t fret. You won’t have to work hard
to determine what to share with those wonderful women who will be
gathering for the simulcast. God is going to take care of it so
completely that it will overwhelm even you. Rest. He’s got it.”
I cried again. God had gone out of his way to confirm His word to me.
I love it.
I love His word.
And I love Him.
And, I bet this kind of blog post might sound weird to some folks, but
somehow I’m guessing you “get” this. Somehow I think you know exactly
how confirming and powerful and wonderful it is to hear His voice as
well.
Priscilla
