Part 1: Hearing His Truth

Recently, I had the opportunity to go on a retreat with speaker Tricia McDermott from Imagine Ministries. The topic was listening prayer. God met me there in a powerful way.

One of the highlights that stood out to me was the reminder: ANYTHING that wants you to pull away from Jesus is a lie.

I was feeling discouraged about something on my heart. Hoping God would show me grace in the midst of a boulder that seemed to be erected between us. One, which in the moment, seemed too strong to move-or would require painstaking effort to.

And just like that, with a few words, He moved it. Not through anything I did. HE moved it.

The speaker was getting ready to instruct us to go off to our quiet place to listen with God. I was not expecting to “hear” something quite so soon. As she gave the instructions for us to ask God, “Lord, what do you want to say to me?” Immediately, I sensed His reply to me. An unanticipated reply. It was so other to how I was feeling in the moment, and so palpable, I trusted it was Him.

His words clear to my heart?
Simple at first glance, yet so powerful.

I LOVE YOU.
I AM WITH YOU.

Do we know the power of our God’s words? God knew just what I needed in that moment. That boulder wasn’t as big anymore.

It’s a good reminder, that if we aren’t hearing God from His Spirit of love and truth, we hear Him distorted. We know that the way a person says something matters. If someone confronts me because they love me, I hear it differently than if they do not. Learning to discern the voice of the Lord is important. God graciously set the tone of all else on that retreat-His loving, personal, presence.

There was a time, when I was first getting to know the Lord, I was unable to receive such words from God. I read scripture through a lens of a demanding, rejecting God. No amount of encouragement could pierce through those lies it seemed. But after years of His unrelenting grace and faithful love pursuing me, He transformed the way I saw Him and myself. He’s so very sweet to pursue me, to pursue us.

I am passionate about people knowing God’s love for them and being freed from shame because I know the pain of shame, and I know the beauty of a God who meets you in your shame and whispers to your heart “I love you. I know you. I am with you. I accept you.” A God who restores what seems impossible to restore. He came to set the captives free. That means you and I. That means for the one who thinks it does not apply for them.

So how do we learn to hear His voice? Stay tuned for practical ways to grow in discernment and truth.

In the meantime, I pray wherever this finds you today, to hear His voice “I am with you, I love you.”