Divine Direction: Discerning the Voice of God in a Data-Driven WorldSample

What God Said and What God Is Saying

“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” Gen 22:2 NLT

Abraham could have killed Isaac, thinking he was obeying God, if he hadn't paid attention to God's subsequent command. What God had said and what God is saying may be completely different things. Instructions come in seasons; if you obey them out of that season, they may no longer deliver the expected result.

The subsequent instruction given to Abraham in Genesis 22:12 was that Isaac no longer needed to be sacrificed because it was all a test, and Abraham had passed it. Don't just hear what God told you in verse 2 Season of Your Life; pay attention to what he might be saying in verse 12.

God had told Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh of His judgement because of their wickedness, but they repented, and God changed his mind. As you walk with God, ensure you are constantly in sync with the Holy Spirit to know the mind of God for you and his intended direction for your life at every season.

The right decision made at the wrong time is still a wrong decision. Timing is important. Is God still saying the same thing he said to you 2 or 3 years ago? When was the last time you heard God speak? Are you in sync with the Holy Spirit? Spiritual laxity may come at a cost.

As we walk with God, we should pay careful attention to his voice and leading. Ensure you are constantly attuned. As God leads you, move at his pace. In seasons where God seems silent, wait. Patience is a virtue, not a vice. It is better to sleep on what you plan to do than to be kept awake by what you've done.

Our urge to urgently get things done sometimes gets in the way of God's leading. The story of King Saul is a cautionary tale. He was an impatient king. He was not the legitimate and authorized person to perform sacrifices to God. He illegally assumed this role, and consequently, it cost him his throne, and the Spirit of God left the king.

At the height of the king's dilemma, he sought a sorcerer to conjure the spirit of Prophet Samuel from the dead. Don't let your feelings and impatience get in the way of divine direction. God's not invested in how we feel, he's invested in our growth and progress.

When the stakes are high, when the outcomes are highly consequential, wait until you hear God clearly. It is not enough to trust our intuition; we need to take everything to God in prayer.