Psalms 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Have you ever sat down at a restaurant to eat dinner and your water glass was empty before the waiter brought your food and they never came and filled it up? How did you feel? Were you willing to give a big tip? Have you ever sat down at a restaurant to eat dinner and as soon as your water glass was half empty, there was someone there to fill it up. It may not have been your waiter, but all the waiters in the restaurant were paying attention to all the clients and the second anyone appeared to have a need, they made sure to take care of it.

What was the difference? It was how attentive the staff was. One staff was trained to be looking to take care of the needs of their clients while the other one saw their position as a job and they really did not care about taking care of their clients even if it meant that they might get larger tips.

In this Psalm, David gives us a very important analogy of how we are to respond to God. Imagine you are a waiter at a restaurant and God comes in and sits at your table. How are you going to treat God? Are you going to just leave HIM alone or are you going to make sure that HIS every desire is taken care of?

If you were waiting a table and you saw Bill Gates sit down at your table, would you make sure you gave HIM the best service possible so that you could receive the largest tip possible? It is our Father which is up in heaven that can bring down showers of blessing upon your life. It is our Father which is up in heaven that can bring forth much fruit from our lives.

We need to understand that God desires to make HIMSELF known unto us on a regular basis just as HE made HIMSELF known unto Adam and Eve when they were in the garden. We need to understand that God desires to have regular fellowship with us just as HE had regular fellowship with HIS SON while HIS SON was on this earth. That fellowship is ours if we only set our eyes upon HIM. We need to first seek first the kingdom of God.

How can you expect to hear the voice of God if you do not first focus your attention upon the things of God? If you desire God to bring about HIS perfect will in HIS perfect timing, you cannot simply sit back and pretend that God does not exist. Instead, you need to spend hours reading your Bible and talking with HIM in prayer. As you focus your attention upon HIM, you will learn to hear HIS still small voice which will give you the direction that you need.

God does not always respond quickly. Instead, you may have to be attentive for a long time in order to receive the message that God has for you. Nonetheless, we must patiently wait on the Lord and keep our focus upon HIM. Those who are attentive to the things of God will receive the rich spiritual blessings that come to those who put God first.

Even an un-attentive waiter will receive a large tip every now and then. However, as a general rule, the attentive waiters will receive large tips much more frequently than an un-attentive waiter. If you long to receive the desires of your heart, learn to be attentive to the things of God and as you put more time into the things of God, you will soon learn to experience the rich blessings that come to those who put God first.

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

How would you like to hear that some great spiritual saint was praying for you? Would you be curious as to what he or she was praying? In this passage, Paul is letting the church at Colosse know how God has been prompting him to pray.

The first thing Paul prays for is that the church will be filled with knowledge of what the will of God is for their lives. Paul prays that God gives this church the wisdom and spiritual understanding to be able to comprehend what the will of God is.

How many times have you heard someone say that they just do not understand what God’s will is for their life? How many times have you said that you did not understand what God’s will is? Understanding the will of God is not something that just comes naturally. Understanding the will of God is not something that one is gifted with. If you desire to understand the will of God, then you must first take the time to fill your life with the things of God. You must daily make choices to put aside the things of this world in order to pursue the things of God.

The apostle Paul understood that understanding the will of God came from God. Paul knew that if God did not first open the ears and open the eyes, then the church would stumble around in darkness because they simply did not understand all that God had in store for them.

God desires to make HIMSELF real in your life. God desires that you understand the path that HE has for you. God desires that you understand those things that are spiritual. If you desire to have all that God has for you, then you need to ask God to reveal to you HIS will for your life. You need to ask God to give you the wisdom that you need to understand HIS will for you. You need to ask God to give you the spiritual understanding to hear HIS still small voice.

If you desire to be all that you can be for God, the decision starts with you and whether you will be bold enough to ask God for more. Many people proclaim to be Christians and they wonder through life not fully understanding what God’s plan is for their life. They have great visions for their life, but they do not know if those visions are of God or of their idle time.

Many a young man or woman would do well if they were to set aside some time to be alone with God and learn to hear HIS still small voice. Many a Christian would have a better understanding of what God is doing if they took the time to remove the distractions of this world so that they could obtain from God the knowledge of HIS plan for their life.

God has promised to direct you, the problem is, are you even looking at the road map that HE has given unto you. God has promised to guide you, the problem is, are you even stopping to hear HIM give guidance?

Do not expect God to magically give you great understanding just because you bowed your head and prayed once. Instead, you need to be prepared to patiently spend some time on your knees crying out to God for wisdom and spiritual understanding so that you are not just another person who lived and let live. If you desire to do great things for God, start preparing yourself for God to use you in a new and exciting way.

Job 33:14-15 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbering upon the bed;

In this passage, we learn a very important principle that all of us need to understand. God is speaking to us, but the reason why we do not hear him is because we have failed to hear HIM.

Have you ever played a game of peek-a-boo with a little child? When the young child puts something in front of their face, you say something to the affect that you cannot see the child. The child thinks that they are so cute because they know that they cannot see you so they assume that because they cannot see you, you cannot see them. However, because you have not covered your face, you see the little child and you know exactly where they are at.

We often do the same thing with God. We fill our lives with the things of this world distracting us from spending quality time with God. As we focus on everything but God, we stop hearing the voice of God and we assume that God is not speaking to us. However, we serve a God who sees all so just because we have become so busy with our life, it does not mean that God has become so busy that HE cannot see us. God sees us and knows what is going on in our life and HE is disappointed that we have chosen not to listen to HIM.

Just because we do not hear God, does not mean that HE is speaking. If you are facing a difficult decision, you must understand that God does have a perfect plan for your life. God is not hiding HIS perfect will from you, but instead it is your own actions that have created a situation where you are not hearing God. God is speaking but because you have put the things of the world first in your life, you have clogged up your hearing so that you do not hear the still small voice of God.

We understand that God spoke to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar with dreams. We understand that God spoke to Joseph in a vision. As you study the scriptures, you see that God speaks in many different ways. As we focus our attention upon hearing the voice of God, we will learn the plans that God has for us. If we fail to remove the distractions from our life, we will find ourselves wondering aimlessly wondering what we are supposed to do next.

God is not mean spirited in that if you do not hear HIM the first time, you might as well stop listening. When God spoke to Pharaoh during the times of Joseph, HE gave Pharaoh two different dreams. When God spoke to Samuel, HE called the name of Samuel many times until Samuel finally recognized that it was God speaking unto HIM. God is very patient with us and we need to understand that the problem is not God speak to us, the problem is us hearing God.

Do you have an issue that you need direction from God? Have you taken the time to draw closer to God? Have you removed from your life many of the distractions that make it next to impossible for you to hear God? Have you demonstrated patience by refusing to stop seeking God until HE speaks? God is speaking, the only question is, are you hearing the voice of God.

It is very easy to become distracted so you do not have time to hear God. It is very easy to become focused upon everything but that which the most important, your relationship with God. If it has been a while since you have heard God, it is time that you create some time in your life so that you become more regular in your reading of the Bible. It is time that you set aside time to pray. Learn to put the things of God first so that you can hear HIS still small voice.

Job 10:12 Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

Do you understand what it means to have a personal relationship with God? There are many Christians who claim to have a relationship with God but in reality, all they really have is a personal fire insurance policy to keep them out of hell. In their minds, they have made a reservation for heaven, but they have not taken the time to really allow God to get a hold of their lives.

If you were faced with a serious problem, how would you seek God? Would you run to your pastor and ask them to show you the will of God for your life? While that is one way that you can seek God, it is not the best way. How much better would it be if you personally sought the Lord and you heard HIS still small voice in your life?

In this passage, Job reveals to us the importance to HIM of his relationship with God. Job understood that the times that God appeared unto HIM were very important times. Not only were they important in that these times would give him direction for his life, but also they were important because the presence of God revitalized his spirit.

The things of this world have a way of discouraging us. The longer we are in this world, the easier it is for us lose sight of the things of God. That is why we need to regularly set aside times to renew our relationship with God. Just as it is important to refuel your car with gas before you run out, so also it is important that you revitalize your spirit with constant contact with God.

Our life is made up of our body, our soul, and our spirit. In the same way we preserve the life in our body by food, so also we must preserve our spirit with constant contact with God. You may be one who reads the Bible every day, but if all you do is read the Bible out of requirement, you will never learn to hear the voice of God while you read HIS word.

You would laugh at a person who told you in the grocery store that they could not find anything to eat. If you could not find anything to eat in a grocery store, you really are not looking. Too many Christians allow their spirit to wither away because they are afraid of what would happen if God really got a hold of their lives. God is all around us, you really do not need to go very far in order to find HIM. Nonetheless, if you do not seek for God, you will not find HIM.

It is important that you learn to have a personal relationship with God. One of these days you are going to have a difficult decision to make and it will be much better if you have the ability to turn to God and allow HIM to direct your paths. You should not need to go to others to hear the voice of God. While it is good to confirm the voice of God through those who God has put in your life, it is always best when you can turn to God and know that HE hears you.

God desires to have a personal relationship with you, will you let HIM. You must take the time out of your busy day to put the things of God first in your life. Until you stop and make your relationship with God a priority, you will never fully understand the ways of God.

God is ready to protect, provide, and direct you in the way you are to go. God is not going to appear just because you ask HIM to appear. Instead, you need to put your house in order and live your life in a way that is pleasing to HIM. Be diligent in seeking HIM and patiently wait for HIM to appear in your life. When HE appears, use that experience to continue to grow closer to HIM.

Acts 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

Paul was in Rome speaking with the Jewish leaders. Paul was explaining to them what had happened in Jerusalem and how he ended up appealing unto Caesar. Paul summarizes his current condition by stating that he was in chains because he pursued the hope of Israel.

The hope of Israel was that one day the Messiah would come and deliver them. The Jews had heard the prophets and they knew that one day, the Son of God would come and save them. Paul understood that Jesus was the Son of God and because he believed that the hope of Israel had come, he was preaching a different gospel than the Jews who were still waiting for their Messiah.

Because the Jews were looking for the Messiah to come in a certain matter, many Jews completely missed the fact that their Messiah had in fact come. The Jews had a certain set of preconceived notions and they were living out of the will of God because of the hardness of their heart and their unwilliness to allow God to be God.

How often are we just like the Jews? We have a certain preconceived notion as to how God should bless us and when HE does not grant our every wish just as we think HE should, we ignore the direction that HE is giving to us. How often have we missed the perfect plan of God for our life because of the stubbornness of our heart.

It is easy to judge the Jews and say how ignorant that they were in failing to see that Jesus was their Messiah. Nonetheless, be careful lest with the same judgment that you judge, you also might be judged. Maybe the desire of your heart was for a certain job. You had your heart set on that job and you spent hours praying and reading the Bible waiting anxiously for God to open the doors to your dream job. However, that dream job never materialized and in the mean time, you turned down the opportunity for another job because you were anxiously waiting for the job that you desired.

We must learn to be faithful in that which is least. We must learn that just because we ask God for something, it does not mean that HE has to answer the way we think HE should. Just because God has spoken to us in HIS still small voice and told us HE is going to do something, it does not mean that HE is going to do it in the way that we think that HE should fulfill HIS promise.

God gave to the Jews hope that one day the Messiah would come. Generation after generation anxiously hoped for the day that God would reveal HIMSELF to them by sending HIS Son. There were godly men like Simeon who had such a close relationship with God that he knew that Jesus was the Messiah before Jesus spoke his first words. The religious leaders had all the scriptures to guide them but what they were lacking was a personal relationship with God that they were able to hear HIS voice and follow HIM.

Be patient with God and allow God to direct your steps. Listen to HIS still small voice so that you can obtain the hope that HE has promised unto you. Do not be like the Jews who became so entrenched in their thinking that they missed the thing that they hoped for because it did not come as they expected. Satan is a master at trying to deceive us into thinking that God is not fulfilling HIS promises in our life. Do not be deceived, God cannot lie. Listen for the voice of God and you will not find yourself missing out on the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Acts 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Cornelius was a man who sought God. Cornelius not only gave to those who had a need, but as we learn in this passage, he took the time to fast and pray. The ninth hour of the day is 3:00pm. Cornelius had chosen not to eat breakfast or lunch so that he could pray and seek the face of God. God chose to speak to Cornelius because God saw in Cornelius a Gentile who was willing to put the things of God first.

Is there something that you would desire God to do for you? When was the last time you put aside the things of this world so that you could focus your attention upon what God desired you to do? Cornelius understood the importance of praying and seeking the things of God and God rewarded Cornelius with a special message regarding God’s plan for the Gentiles.

Was Cornelius looking for a special message regarding God’s plan for the Gentiles? Probably not. However, because Cornelius was a devote man who put the things of God first, Cornelius was chosen to be used of God to receive the wonderful message regarding the Gentiles.

When was the last time you fasted for an entire day just because you desired to get to know God better? When was the last time you prayed to God not to receive something for yourself but because you desired to live a life that was pleasing to the Lord? When was the last time you were more concerned about giving to God then receiving something from HIM?

Maybe if we took more time putting the things of God first in our life, God would be able to bless us in ways that we never would have imagined. Cornelius was not expecting to have an angel come and speak to him but that is what happened when he spent the day fasting and praying. What special messages have we missed from God just because we were too busy with the things of this world that we did not spend time just honoring God with our time.

God wants more from you then you just going to church every Sunday morning. God wants more from you then you giving him a tithe. God wants more from you then you a prayer just before you eat a meal. God is our Creator and HE has made us in HIS image. God is our Maker and HE desires to have fellowship with us. God does not want to be our Santa Clause, HE desires a relationship with us.

Cornelius was blessed because he first blessed God with his time and his focus. If we desire to hear the still small voice of God, then we should be prepared to be patient with God and learn to give HIM the first fruits of our time, talent, and treasure.

What is the focus of your life right now? Maybe you should stop and spend some time seeking the things of God. If we put the things of God first, maybe some of our problems would go away as God makes HIMSELF known in our lives. Rather than spending our time worrying about everything that has or might go wrong, we need to spend our time pursuing the things of God so that HE can help us in ways that we never imagined.

Be patient with God. Start spending time putting the things of God first so that HE can grant the desires of your heart. Learn to change your focus from seeing what you can get out of this world to seeing what God can do through you to bless those whom HE has put in your life.

Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

Is fasting a part of your Christian walk? In this passage, Christ is commanding us how we are supposed to fast. Fasting is not something you do when you want others to see how spiritual you are. Fasting is something you do so that God can be glorified through you. Fasting is a choice that you should make so that you can put away the distractions of this world so that you can hear the still small voice of God even better.

As you go about your Christian walk, the world will throw many distractions at you. If you are not careful, you can quickly be distracted with day to day living that you fail to see what God desires you to do. Fasting is an opportunity that you have to install as a part of your Christian walk so that you can put aside the things of this world and say yes to the things of God.

However, if you choose to fast, you need to do so in such a way that you bring as little attention to yourself as possible. There are those who fast and make sure those around them know what they are doing so that people will believe they are more spiritual then they are. Jesus tells us that they have their reward, the praises of man which last for only a season.

When we add temperance to our life, we open the doors for God to bless us in new and exciting ways. When we take control over our physical urges to eat and set this time aside for God, God is able to bless us in ways that we never imagined.

Scripture shows us that Moses receive the law from God during a time of fasting for 40 days up on the mountain. Elijah received direction for his life during a time of fasting for 40 days. Daniel received the dream and its interpretation during a time of fasting.

Christ anticipated that fasting would be a part of your spiritual growth. Christ did not tell us how to fast if we choose to do so, instead, he instructed us how to fast when we do so. In order to add temperance to your life, you must say no to the things of this world. If you only knew the treasures that God has in store for you if you would only abstain from the pleasures of this world for a season.

Would you be willing to fast for one week if you knew that during the week long fast, God would speak to you and show you what you are supposed to do over the next five years? Just because you fast, it does not mean that God is going to reveal HIMSELF to you the way you desire, but the odds greatly increase that God will hear your cries and HE will bring you the direction that you desire.

God desires that you set aside time to draw closer to HIM so that you learn to hear HIS still small voice. One of the reasons you feel so lost may be because you are not spending the time drawing closer to HIM so that you learn to hear HIS still small voice.

Remember, it is important that you not only obey the commands of Christ and fast, but it is important that you do it with the right motives so that God can be glorified. It is time that you call yourself to a fast so that God can reveal HIMSELF to you. Maybe you need to fast for a day, or a week, or even 40 days. Let God speak to you during your next fast.

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Do you really understand the power of God? You claim that God could do anything but do you really believe it? It is one thing to say you understand the power of God it is completely a different matter to have the faith to believe and expect God to do the impossible.

The disciples saw five loaves and two fishes but Jesus Christ saw a means by which HE could feed a multitude. The disciples saw a huge storm but Jesus Christ spoke and the storm died down. The crowds mourned the death of a young lady, but Jesus Christ recognized that she was only sleeping and that she would rise and live again.

The power of God is great. God can do anything. We are told that if we abide in HIM, and we allow HIS words to abide in us, we shall ask what we want and it shall be done unto us. We are told that if we ask anything according to HIS will, we know that HE hears us and we know that if HE hears us, we know that we shall receive that which we requested.

Jesus commanded us to ask and we shall receive. Jesus taught us that since men who are evil know how to give good things to their children, how much more does our Father which is in Heaven know how to give good things to those who ask.

Why is it that God does not answer your prayers; is it because you never ask? We are told in scripture that we have not because we ask not. Why is it that God does not answer your prayers; is it because you are not asking God for things that are in accordance with HIS will? Why is it that God does not answer your prayers; is it because you are not spending the time abiding in HIS word?

God is able to do the impossible through you. It is impossible to walk on water but Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on water to meet HIM. Jesus beckoned Peter and Peter was able to do the impossible as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. However, once Peter was distracted by the waves, it became impossible for him to focus upon Jesus and he quickly sank.

The wave that Peter saw that distracted him from seeing Jesus is just like the things of this world. We strive to stay focused upon God, but then all of a sudden, something gets in our way and we start looking at what the world has to offer. We are no longer in a position to abide with God because we know that we cannot serve two masters, we either serve God or we serve the things of this world.

Temperance enables us to say no to the things of this world. By exercising self-control, we are able to keep our eyes focused upon the perfect will of God. No longer do we have to allow the things of this world come between the good things that God desires for us and the things of this world.

Satan does not want us to fully understand what God can do through us if we only dedicate ourselves to HIS perfect will. You cannot serve two masters, if you want to experience the power of God, you need to stop focusing upon the things of this world and start taking the time to look upon the things of God. God has a perfect plan for your life and you need to spend the time drawing closer to HIM so that you can hear HIS still small voice.

Genesis 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

Jacob was fearful about going down to Egypt. This was a huge transition for him and his family. God appeared unto Jacob in the night and spoke with him. God comforted Jacob and assured him that it was a part of HIS perfect will for Jacob to go to Egypt. God even went so far as to assure Jacob that God would continue to bless Jacob and his family while they were down in Egypt.

It was God who called Abraham to make the big move into the Promise Land and now it was God instructing Jacob to move out of the Promise Land. When speaking to Jacob, God informs Jacob that HE is the God of his father. The same God who promised his grandfather to bless him if he moved to the Promise Land was the same God who was going to bless Jacob for leaving the Promise Land. The same God who promised to bless Isaac if he did not go to Egypt during a famine was the same God who was promising to bless Jacob if he went to Egypt during a famine.

Following the perfect will of God can be very difficult at times. God does not always do what seems natural to you. Sometimes the will of God seems opposite to what HE has instructed you in the past. In order to follow the perfect will of God, you must learn to hear HIS still small voice. You must learn to hear God so that you are no longer following your natural thinking but instead are following the plan HE has for you.

When you chose to follow the perfect plan that God has for you, God will be with you and HE will bless you. The blessing of God does not mean that you will be rich and famous. God blessed the nation of Israel in the land of Egypt even though they became slaves. God was with the nation of Israel and HE enabled them to be fruitful and multiply. When they left the land of Egypt, God opened the door so that they were able to pillage the Egyptians.

As long as you think that the blessings of God means that you will be rich and famous, you will have a hard time hearing the direction of God. God is not Santa Claus, HE is not a genie who will grant you three wishes; the blessings of God may include riches and honor, but the true blessing of God is joy and peace that comes with being in the center of HIS will.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who was with Abraham, and Isaac was going to be with Jacob and his descendants while they were in Egypt. Esau was not able to avoid intermarrying with the local Canaanite women and we know that Judah also married a Canaanite woman and had his sons marry a Canaanite woman. If the nation of Israel stayed in the Promise Land, they would soon become so intermarried with the Canaanites that it would be impossible for them to destroy the Canaanites so that they could own the land.

Jacob had a personal relationship with God so he was able to hear the voice of God and following the perfect will of God. Jacob understood what God desired him to do and he obeyed. Do you have a close walk with God that you regularly hear HIS voice? Have you removed from your life the distractions of this world so that God is the most important person in your life?

Jacob was not moving to Egypt to gain material wealth; he was moving to Egypt to be in the center of God’s will. You need to add temperance to your life so that your motives with God are pure. As long as you are serving God for the right reasons, you will find the true blessing of God – the peace of knowing God is with you even when you are in the midst of the storm.

Acts 28:26-27 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Paul is under house arrest in Rome. The Jewish rulers have come to him and he has shared with them the truth of the gospel. Some of the Jews believe but some do not. Paul then quotes to them this passage from the prophet Isaiah.

How would you react if you were a Jewish leader in Rome and you just patiently listened to Paul and you decided that you would rather follow the traditions of your fathers rather than believe this strange man who preaches a new doctrine? You would have many sound arguments on which to rest your case why it would not be prudent to swallow the tall tales being told by Paul.

You figure you are going to disagree with Paul, this is not a big deal, there are several different factions of Judaism and it is not going to be the end of the world. However, Paul does not let you agree to disagree. Paul instead goes to the much revered prophet Isaiah and basically calls you spiritually deaf. How are you going to respond? Are you going to ignore Paul? Are you going to prove that Paul is wrong? How would you respond?

Paul was being wise in what he was doing in that he quoted Isaiah. By quoting Isaiah, he was able to quote someone who was considered authoritative by all sects of Judaism. By quoting this passage, Paul was basically stirring up a controversy with the Jewish leaders to cause them to rethink their position. The Jewish leaders were so entrenched with their traditions that they were blinded from seeing all that God had been doing during their generation and how HE desired them to turn from their traditions and start establishing a relationship with God.

You may not live in the first century but you do live in a time where there are plenty of Christians who are spiritually immature. Because of their spiritual immaturity, they try to impress others with just how spiritual they are, but while they show all the appearances of serving God, it is just a false front that does not produce a real relationship with God.

We serve a God who is alive and desires to have a personal relationship with you. However, we are so busy with the things of this world that we allow our spiritual ears to fill up with spiritual wax. Because it is so hard to hear from God, we feel confused and uncertain about the perfect will of God. This uncertainty results in a week testimony and thus our light does not shine very bright for God.

Instead we must spend our time drawing closer to God. This means that we must remove those things that will hinder us from hearing HIS still small voice. The things of this world are the greatest obstacle to drawing us closer to God. As we add temperance to our life, we will gain the strength to say no to the things of this world and yes to the things of God.

Paul was dealing with a generation of leaders who thought they knew God. Paul was trying to get them to wake up and realize just how far from God they actually were. Are you more like Paul or like the religious leaders? Do you hear the still small voice of God clearly or do you wonder through your day wondering what Jesus would desire you to do?

Acts 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

You can abstain from the things of this world in your own power, or you can do it in the power of God. In this passage, we see a group of Jews who agreed together saying that they would not eat or drink until they killed Paul. Had these men actually fulfilled their promise, they all would have died before Paul was killed several years later.

These men thought that by abstaining from the things of this world, God would bless them and enable them to fulfill the desires of their heart. However, God was not in this plan to kill Paul and as such, these men were acting completely in the flesh. It did not matter that they were doing something good in fasting; their wrong purpose and their wrong attitude totally destroyed any grace God would have given them by abstaining from food and drink.

How often do we act just like this group of Jews? We establish in our mind that we want something, and because we want it enough, God will give it to us if we are diligent to pray for it three times a day. God is not looking for how many sacrifices you are making in order to determine if you are going to receive the desires of your heart. Instead, God is looking at your heart and whether your desires are in line with HIS desires.

You can fast for forty days for God to give you something, but if it is not the perfect will of God, your fast will be in vain. This is what these Jews discovered; they may have fasted to see a certain result, but because they were fighting against God, their fast was in vain.

In Isaiah 58, we are told “Is not this the fast that I have chosen?” There are many benefits to fasting when God directs you to fast. Isaiah then lists many benefits to following a fast that God has called you to. Some of the benefits include but are not limited to the loosening the bands of wickedness, to undue heavy burdens, thy health shall return, you shall call on the Lord and HE shall hear you, and the light of your life will shine.

Fasting is an act of temperance; it requires the abstaining from the things of this world in order to pursue the things of God. However, do not be like the Jews in this passage who were not directed by God to fast. As a result of their choices, not only did they go without food for some period of time, but they also did not gain the spiritual benefits from their fast.

Look at your life and the sacrifices you have made for God. Are these sacrifices that God has asked you to make or are they sacrifices that you chose to make because you think God would be pleased with you. If this is not something that God has chosen for you, you might want to reevaluate the decisions you are making because you are setting yourself up for a great disappointment. God is not interested in your sacrifices; God desires that you learn to hear HIS still small voice so that you can fulfill HIS perfect will.

When you chose to abstain from the things of this world in order to draw nearer to God; make sure that is your reason. Do not try to manipulate God by thinking that if you do enough things for HIM, then surely HE must have to do something you want HIM to do for you. Your abstaining from the things of this world should be so that you can draw closer to HIM and be in a better position to hear HIS still small voice. Just because you make enough sacrifices, it does not mean you are entitled to any special blessings from God.

Acts 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Paul is sharing the testimony of how Christ met him on the road to Damascus. Paul is sharing that when Christ came down to speak to him, that the men around him knew that something was going on that was Holy, but they did not actually hear the voice of God themselves. These men were only feet away from Paul, yet Paul had a conversation with Christ and these men did not hear Christ speak.

Paul had a powerful testimony of how God met him and totally changed his life. People knew that Paul was different just by looking at him and seeing the evidences of the changed life. However, no one actually heard the words of Christ; they only know the words that Christ spoke to Paul because Paul has shared them with us through scriptures.

Christ was speaking to Paul because it was Paul who God needed and God desired changed. If God wanted to speak to one of the men who were with Paul, HE could have and would have. Just because Christ only spoke to Paul does not mean that the message that Christ shared with Paul was reserved only for Paul. Christ expected and Paul did share this message with others.

When Samuel was a little boy, we are told that God came to him and spoke to him in an audible voice. Eli who was in the same house who was a judge did not hear God speaking to Samuel that night. The next day, Eli asked Samuel to share with him the word of the Lord. Eli may not have heard the voice of God, but the message was delivered to him as Samuel shared with Eli what the Lord had revealed to him the night before.

Throughout scripture we see example after example of God speaking to one person and that person was to share the message with those around them. From Moses, to the judges, and to the prophets, God often speaks to one with the intent that they share the message with others. Just because you did not hear what someone else claims God has shown to them, it does not mean that the message is not valid.

When someone claims that they have heard from God, there are two things you need to do. First, you need to examine your heart to make sure that there is nothing wrong in your heart that is prohibiting you from hearing the voice of God. Second, you need to examine the message along with the scriptures to make sure that the message shared is in accordance with the principles of God.

God may have to speak to other people in your life to get your attention if your heart is not right towards him. God could have spoken to Eli, HE could have made Eli hear, but God instead chose to use a young boy in the life of Eli to demonstrate to Eli that Eli needed to make some major changes in his life. Eli was in a position of leadership, but he had allowed the things of this world to distract him from pursuing a perfect relationship with God.

God may be speaking to you, but because your life is crowded with the things of this world, you have failed to properly hear the voice of God. You need to add temperance to your life and to say no to the things of this world so that you can learn to hear the still small voice of God. If you claim to serve God but crowd your life with the things of this world, then you are setting yourself up for failure and frustration. Clear your life of the distractions of this world.

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Paul and Barnabas have established several new Churches as a result of their missionary journey. Before they returned to Antioch, they ordain elders to take care of the various churches. Paul and Barnabas selected these leaders with prayer and fasting.

Paul and Barnabas understood the importance of having good leaders for the long term health of these local churches. This was not a quick decision made on their part but was a decision that was made with prayer and fasting so that they could be assured that they properly heard the voice of God. If the wrong leaders were in place, then the church would suffer and the church could actually do more damage than good for the kingdom of God.

Paul and Barnabas were preaching a message that the church was going to suffer great tribulation. It was thus important to select leaders who would be able to lead the church through the troubling times. It was because of the magnitude of this decision that Paul, Barnabas, and probably many others spent the time abstaining from the things of this world so that the things of God could become clear in their lives.

When you take the time to fast and pray, you are saying no to the things of this world. The longer you are able to put the things of this world on hold, the easier it will be for you to hear the still small voice of God. When God is speaking in a still small voice, it is easy for you to miss HIS voice because of the distractions of the things this world has to offer.

Have you ever wondered how many times you missed the still small voice of God because you were distracted? God desires to have daily communion with you, but you have to set aside the things of this world so that you can pursue the things of God. Satan knows your weaknesses and as such, he knows what temptations to send your way so that you fail to hear the still small voice of God.

It is important that you have an ear tuned into the voice of God. The world will always try to control your time so that you do not give God the time that HE deserves. This means that you must be vigilant to ensure that God is a priority in your life. There may be times when you have a very important decision that you need to make and you will simply need to make sacrifices so that the things of this world do not control your decision making.

Fasting and praying are just a couple of the ways that you can say no to the things of this world and yes to the things of God. By saying no to this world, you are adding temperance to your life and you are allowing yourself to succeed in the spiritual walk that God has for you. As long as you continue to yield to the things of this world, you will never be in the position to be all that you can be for the cause of Christ.

Paul and Barnabas understood the importance of saying no to the things of this world so that they could make decisions that were in accordance with the will of God. They were faithful to the cause of Christ and God blessed the works of their hands and allowed them to bring forth much fruit. Their lives would not have been nearly as fruitful if they did not take the time to allow God to prune them through times of prayer and fasting. As they sacrificed to put God first in their lives, God was able to use them to touch the lives of millions.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

There are those who you will come in contact with who do not appreciate the ways of God. In this verse, Christ commands you to be discerning, to understand the type of person that you are in contact with and not to play a fool. If you are dealing with an individual who scorns the ways of God, then do not waste your time trying to teach them the ways of God; these individuals will simply dismiss your words and they will then turn on you and cause you much harm.

This verse does not mean that you are allowed to burry your head in the sand and never confront someone who does not believe as you believe. Elijah knew that Ahab and Jezebel hated him. However, that did not stop him from appearing before Ahab and proclaiming the words of God.

Paul knew that the religious leaders in Jerusalem did not appreciate that he was called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Nonetheless, Paul was willing to die in Jerusalem to share with the religious leaders his testimony of how God used him to preach to those who the Jews considered unclean.

During the ministry of Jesus, one of the religious leaders had a daughter who was sick and he came to Jesus and requested Jesus to heal his daughter. As Jesus was on his way, a servant came and informed the religious leader that his daughter had died. Jesus did not stop but went to the house and proclaimed that the daughter was only sleeping. Those who were around mourning the death of this young girl laughed and because of their laughter, Jesus only took three of his disciples and the parents to see the miracle from God.

That day, Jesus demonstrated great power in raising the dead damsel. Nonetheless, because of the scorning from the crowd, Jesus commanded the family that they were not to speak of the miracle that they had seen. Imagine being that family who just saw God work a mighty miracle in their life and being told that you were not allowed to share the truth with anyone. What had happened to the family was a pearl of God, but if they were to share it, no one would believe them and they would be ridiculed.

It takes great discernment to determine whether you are being bold for the cause of Christ or whether you are casting your pearls before swine. The only way you are going to obtain the discernment necessary to obey the commands of Christ will be to spend much time adding knowledge of the ways of God so that you can hear HIS still small voice.

There are several times throughout the life of Christ that HE instructed someone not to share what had happened. In the same way that Christ shared with those around HIM what was to be repeated and what was to be kept in, so also, God through the Holy Spirit can reveal to you when you are to speak with boldness and when you need to shut up and just enjoy the presence of God.

How can you expect to hear the voice of God when you are crowding your mind with the things of this world? There are many difficult decisions that you must make during your life and as such, you need to be able to hear the still small voice of God. You have a duty to God to obey HIS commands and to teach others to do the same; how can you obey God when you do not even understand what HE is telling you to do? Take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God so that the still small voice of God will be clearly understood.

1 Timothy 4:12 in faith

Timothy is a young man who has the calling of God to preach. Paul is instructing Timothy how to act so as to ensure that his message is not lost on individuals who believe he is too young. Because of Timothy’s age, it would be easy for others to discount him and as such, Paul instructs Timothy on five things that he must do so that no man can despise his youth.

The first thing that Paul instructs Timothy to do is be an example to the believers. Paul specifically gives Timothy 6 areas that he should be an example in. The first area Timothy is to be an example in is in the words that he uses. The second area is in his behavior. The third area is in his love for his fellow man. The fourth area is that he must properly demonstrate being filled with the Holy Spirit. The fifth area that Timothy must be an example in is his faith.

How could Timothy be a pastor and expect others to follow his example in serving Christ if Timothy first did not demonstrate to those around him that he had complete faith in a God that he could not see. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Every day, as a Christian, we are put to the challenge of whether or not we believe that there is a living God who knows our every action, word, and thought.

It takes faith to believe in a God that you cannot see. It takes faith to follow a calling that may result in others ridiculing you. By being a Christian, Timothy was not going to be the most popular person in the city. Timothy was willing to follow the calling of God. Timothy was willing to hear the still small voice and HE was willing to go wherever the Lord led him and do whatever the Lord desired him to do.

By being an example to others of faith that was within him, Timothy was showing to the church what it meant to be a Christian living by faith. When others saw Timothy living by faith, they would be less inclined to discount him because of his age. His spiritual maturity quickly overcame the excuses that others would make of Timothy’s youth.

If you are young and you are called by God to do great things, then you need to work on your spiritual life to make sure you are an example to others of the faith that is within you. Make sure that your faith is not just the faith of your fathers, but is a living faith. You need to have the faith that you are serving a living God. As you are an example to others of what it means to have faith, God will be able to expand your ministry regardless of your age.

Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

You have all heard stories of men who refused to stop and ask for directions. They would rather spend hours driving around in circles rather than stop and ask someone where they were supposed to go. The ego of that man is the downfall of that man.

While you may not be stupid enough to refuse to ask for directions in a strange community, you may still be just like that man in how you go about discovering the will of God for your life. You presume that if you do not hear the voice of God, then you are allowed to continue doing what you are doing.

This logic is just like the little boy who is so busy playing that he does not hear his mother calling him for dinner. Whether the boy deliberately put himself out of range where he could hear his mother, or whether he has selective hearing, the boy knows approximately what time dinner is every day and he knows that his mother will call and it is thus his obligation to ensure that he can hear her when the time comes.

If you take the time to hear the voice of God for your life, you will be wise. Furthermore, by hearing God, you will obtain direction in the way that HE wants you to go. The more time you spend drawing closer to HIM, the easier it will be for you to go where HE wants you to go.

Elijah had just seen God work mightily through him. Elijah had just seen fire come out of heaven and rain come from a cloud the size of a fist. However, Elijah did not know what God had for him to do next and he was on the run because Jezebel desired to kill him. God sent Elijah on a long journey. God desired that Elijah learn to hear the still small voice of God so that Elijah might know what he was supposed to do next. Elijah heard God and he went about doing those things that God had commanded him to do.

Samuel was a young man who had not yet learned how to hear the voice of God. Samuel was working in the temple doing the will of God when he heard a voice and he ran to Eli to see what Eli needed. After several trips to Eli, Eli instructed Samuel what to say to God so that God would talk with him. This was the start of Samuel being a judge in Israel. Because he heard God, Samuel would help lead the nation in the way they were to go.

After the flood, God told Noah and his family that they were to have dominion over the entire earth. However, we see that the people gathered together in one area and started building a tower unto heaven. The people deliberately rejected the direction of God and as a result, God had to come down and judge the people for their disobedience. Because of the judgment of God, the people scattered to cover the face of the earth.

You can get yourself into a lot of trouble when you refuse to hear and obey the direction of God. God is speaking but the question is, are you listening? Are you removing distractions from your life so that when the Lord speaks, you are able to hear and follow HIM?

It takes time to add knowledge of the ways of God. The more time you spend pursuing the things of God, the easier it will be for you to understand what God wants you to do with your life. You must take the time to hear God. You are only hurting yourself if you refuse to do those things that put you in a position to hear the still small voice of God.

Proverbs 22:17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

You will not obtain knowledge of the ways of God simply because of how good looking you are. You will not obtain knowledge of the ways of God simply because your parents go to church. You will not obtain knowledge of the ways of God simply because you think you deserve it.

Knowledge of the ways of God comes to those who apply their heart towards the things of God. You may be a nice person, but that does not mean that you will obtain knowledge of the ways of God. Just because three years ago you spent a whole month seeking the Lord, it does not mean that you will be able to hear HIS still small voice today. Understanding the ways of God needs to be a daily process. You must learn to daily set aside time so that you can hear the direction of God. As you apply your heart towards the ways of God, God will make your path clear.

How many Christians do you know who simply only give lip serve to God? They claim to be Christians but maybe other than going to church on Sunday, God is not a part of their life. Some Christians may even pray before they eat, and others still might occasionally pick up the Bible and read a verse or two.

This is not how God desires for you to live your spiritual life. God desires your best. Just as God expects you to give the first ten percent of your income, so God should have the first ten percent of your time. Do you wake up in the morning singing praises and thanking God? Do you get up early enough in the morning so that you can have your devotions before you get started on your busy day? Do you take the time to pray? Not just a simple five minute, if you exist up there prayer, but where you pour out your heart to God and you try to hear HIS still small voice.

If God is not very important to you, why should you expect to hear HIS still small voice? If you do not make God a priority, why should you expect HIM to make your paths clear? If you do not pay attention to God, why do you expect HIM to direct you in your time of need?

You have heard of the story of the nation of Israel wondering in the wilderness. You have heard how God led the nation by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You think how wonderful it would be to have the will of God be so clear. You think that there would be no way you could go wrong if God made HIS way so clear. However, just because the nation of Israel had such clear direction from God, there were several who tried to kick Moses out of his leadership role so that they could be the ruler. These individuals may have been seeing the direction of God for the nation but they were filled with pride and that destroyed them.

Are you applying your heart to obtain knowledge of the ways of God? Maybe you are a devote Christian who every day wakes up and does your devotions. However, ask yourself this, are you devotionals effective? Maybe you are faithful, but are you just filling time to say that you did your devotionals? Your time with the Lord should not just be a certain period of time and then you are done, the quality of time spent needs to be right.

If you are easily distracted during your time with the Lord, you are not going to hear HIS still small voice. Just because you read four chapters a day and thus read the entire Bible in one year, it does not mean that you will now hear HIS voice. You can read the Bible but your mind could be elsewhere. Make sure you are spending quality time with the Lord.

Proverbs 20:15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

Gold and rubies may be valuable but there is something that is of even more value; the lips of knowledge. With Gold you can purchase a great many positions, but with the knowledge of the ways of God, God will be able to use you and direct you to do many wonderful things for HIM.

Noah was a righteous man. God opened his eyes to the truth and Noah started building a boat. For many years as Noah built the boat, he preached the truth to a lost and degenerate people. All the people who died in the flood could have had great wealth and a multitude of precious jewels, but on the day that the rain started to come down, they would have given it all up to trade places with Noah.

Moses gave up a life as a royal prince of Egypt. For forty years, he tended the sheep of his father-in-law. However, one day, Moses received a message from the Lord; Moses understood what God desired him to do and he went out to do it. It did not matter how much wealth the Egyptians had accumulated; Moses was the most powerful man in all of Egypt because he knew the will of God and God was working through him. Many people owed gold and rubies, but only one had the power of God in his life.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples could be found in Jerusalem. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost descended upon them and Peter went out with power and preached a sermon that resulted in over 3,000 coming to the Lord. Prior to the day of Pentecost, Peter was just an ordinary fisherman who had followed Jesus for three years. Peter had always been bold, but now with the lips of knowledge, he was a powerful figure in the early New Testament church.

Your gold is worthless when it comes to pleasing God. It does not matter how many precious gems you possess, it is not going to get you any closer to heaven. The true precious possession is the lips of knowledge. Jesus taught us that the kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a buried treasure and that he sold all that he had to purchase the field. Jesus then continued by telling about a man who found a pearl of great price and he sold everything he had in order to obtain it.

Lips of knowledge are more precious than gold or rubies. It should be your goal to do whatever you can in order to obtain lips of knowledge. You should be willing to give up gold and precious gems so that you can obtain that which God sees as valuable.

If you think about it, there is an abundance of wealth in the world compared to those few individuals who truly have obtained lips of knowledge. There are plenty of people who proclaim to be a Christian but that does not mean that they really have a knowledge of the ways of God. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and many more were all one of a kind in their days. We still remember them today because of the relationship they had with God.

You need to take the time to seek God. The more time you spend drawing closer to God, the easier it will be for you to learn to hear the still small voice of God. As you add knowledge of the ways of God, God will touch your lips and you can be one of the few who God uses in a mighty way because you have put God first and you are HIS faithful servant.

Proverbs 19:2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

You would think it foolish of a man to climb a mountain in the middle of the night. It would be very easy to make some sort of mistake which would result in him becoming lost or worse, his death. It does not matter how much of an emergency the guy is in, absent having some lights and safety gear, he would be better off to wait until his path is properly illuminated.

Why is it that we can see the logic of not walking on an unfamiliar path in the middle of the night but we have no problem barreling forward with our life without the illumination of the will of God? Too often, we are so impatient with God that we will do what we want when we want when God does not give us direction in our own timing.

It is time for you to start waiting on the Lord. If the Lord has not opened your eyes to HIS perfect will for your life, then you need to wait and see what God desires you to do next. Do not be afraid to stop and spend time studying the word of God in order to seek HIS direction for your life. The more time you spend adding knowledge of the ways of God, the easier it will be for you to see the path that God desires you to take.

Jacob was following the instructions that God had given to him and to his father and grandfather. However, when Jacob heard that Joseph was in Egypt, before he left to go see Joseph, Jacob was instructed by God that he was to move to Egypt with his entire family. Jacob did not have to wait very long in order to receive new instructions for his life in that he was to no longer sojourn in the Promise Land.

Elijah had just saw God answer his prayers by bringing fire out of heaven and returning rain to the land. Elijah did not know what God had for him to do next. God had Elijah separate himself from the world and go on a journey up into the mountains where he was alone with God and Elijah learned to hear the still small voice of God. It did not matter how close Elijah was to God. It did not matter that Elijah understood the power of persistent prayer. God desired Elijah to go on a 40 day fast so as to obtain direction as to what HE was supposed to do next.

David once had the people numbered. David did this because he desired to know just how large of an army he had at his command. However, it was not the will of God for David to number the army because God desired David to trust in HIM, not in the size of his army. David did not take the time to see what the perfect will of God was and as a result, the people were punished because of his sin.

Do not act just because it seems logical. Do not act because you think it is a good path. Instead, you need to learn to wait on the Lord and to trust in HIS direction for your life. It is better to wait on the Lord and allow HIM to illuminate your path than for you to take the wrong path and have to backtrack before restarting on the appropriate path.

If you do not know what God desires you to do next, wait on the Lord. Take the time to study the word of God and learn to hear HIS still small voice. If you have to spend 12 hours a day studying the word of God in order to hear HIS voice, then do it. No sacrifice will be too great when it comes to understanding the direction that God desires for you to take. If you are not willing to wait, then be ready to unnecessarily redo anything that you do in violation to HIS will.

Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

Selective hearing, everyone of us has it. As a child, if you were having fun playing, you probably did not hear your parents calling you for dinner or to come and do your chores. However, if someone was across the house and they were talking about doing something that you really wanted to do, you were able to hear every word of the conversation. You heard what you wanted to hear.

The same is true regarding our spiritual ears and hearing the voice of God. If God is telling us to do something that we already wanted to do, we are quick to obey HIM and proclaim to others what God is doing in our life. However, if God is telling us to do something that we do not want to do, then we are slow to respond and we insist that God jumps through more hoops to show us what HE desires us to do.

When Jonah head that God desired him to go to Nineveh, Jonah chose to go the opposite direction. God rebuked Jonah and sent a storm. However, rather than repent, Jonah tried to commit suicide by being thrown into the sea. God did not allow Jonah to simply die in the sea and instead God sent a fish to swallow Jonah. After three days in the stomach of the fish, Jonah finally heeded to the rebuke of God and agreed to go to Nineveh. Nonetheless, Jonah still did not have a proper attitude and he was upset when revival broke out in Nineveh and the people repented of their wickedness.

How often are we just like Jonah? How often do you find yourself too busy to read your Bible because you are comfortable with your present situation? You know that if you start reading and studying your Bible more, then God might tell you to do something that you do not want to do. Maybe there is something you really want to do, and you do not want God to tell you not to do it so for a period of time, you ensure that you do not hear the still small voice of God.

It is a wise son who hears the instruction of God. If you desire to be wise, then you must learn to constantly hear the voice of God. You need to be diligent to position yourself so that you can hear God whenever HE desires to show you the way that you are to go. You will greatly reduce your ability to hear the still small voice of God if you insist on being in the world and doing the things of the world. Instead, if you are going to be a wise child of God, then you must be like Jesus and regularly schedule time where you get away from the hustle of life and can be alone with HIM to hear HIS direction.

Jesus started HIS public ministry by taking 40 days and getting away from every distraction and just being with HIS father. After Elijah had prayed fire down from heaven and prayed for it to rain once again, God had him go on a 40 day journey before God revealed to Elijah what was next in HIS life.

It is not always easy to add knowledge of the ways of God. At times, it will require great sacrifice on your part. However, the difference between being a wise child of God and being a scorner is simply your desire to hear what God is telling you to do. Have you learned to hear the still small voice of God?

Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

Jesus commanded us, Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38).

It is natural for a man to desire to hoard the money that he has obtained. Whether he is saving for retirement or some large purchase, man often measures his worth based upon his bank account. However, that is not the focus that God desires you to have. Instead, God desires that you lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Matthew 6:20).

Is your desire set towards the things above or is it set upon the things of this world? Job had to answer that question when he lost his wealth, his health, and his family. Job did not curse God even though he had lost everything that he had. After Job had passed the test, God blessed him once again. Job had proven to God and Satan that his relationship with God was the most important thing.

Abraham also had to face the question as to what was the most important thing in his life. Abraham had been given a son in his old age. Isaac was a gift from God. However, God asked Abraham to give Isaac back to HIM. Abraham obeyed God and God spared the life of Isaac.

Do you understand that everything you have belongs to God? Do you understand that all God has to do is say the word and you will have nothing? Do you understand that God does not want you placing your hope in the things of this world but desires that your affections be upon the things of God?

Why is it that Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to get through an eye of a needle then it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God? The reason is that the rich man has set his affections upon his wealth. He is used to seeing HIS wealth take care of his needs and as such, he is not ready to hear the still small voice of God. When you have a need, you are required to turn to God and humble yourself and learn to hear HIS voice. The greater the need, the more you understand your need for God. If you do not have a need, then it is less likely that you will find a need for God.

If God has given you wealth, you need to determine how God desires you to spend that wealth. Do not be afraid of outgiving God; God gave you the wealth to begin with, HE can give it to you again if your focus is upon the things of God and how you can use your treasures here on earth to invest in heavenly treasures. Watch how God blesses you as you remain faithful in hearing God and investing in heavenly treasures.

The world does not understand the concept of give and it shall be given unto you. However, as a Christian, the more you study the ways of God, the more you will understand that God desires for you to give HIM the first fruits of your time, talent, and treasure. Unless you take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God, you will never understand the way God desires you to go and how you are to live your life.

Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

You understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Thus by application, if you have knowledge of the ways of God and you allow that knowledge to be applied to your life, then the years of your life shall naturally be prolonged. However, when you choose to do that which is right in your own eyes, your life will not be as long.

The wages of sin is death. Prior to the first sin entering the world, Adam and Eve were to live forever. However, because they did not fear the Lord and they did what was right in their own eyes, their lives were shorten. Even after sin entered the world, man was living over 900 years. However, people continued to do what was right in their own eyes and the earth was destroyed by a flood. As a result, the life span of man was greatly reduced.

One who understands that his body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, understands that he or she must live her life differently. When one chooses to live their life according to the fear of the Lord they are not going to do things that will harm the body. Smoking, becoming an alcoholic, and fornication are all acts that are done without the fear of the Lord and all of them can greatly shorten ones life.

Living your life in the fear of the Lord will cause you to seek the will of God. This means that you will spend plenty of time meditating upon HIS word listening for HIS still small voice. When you understand the still small voice of God, HE will direct you in the way you are to go. Understanding that God is in control will allow you to be content with where God has put you and because of that contentment, you can have peace even though you are facing trials. When you are not stressing out you’re your circumstances, you will not experience the consequences of stress that can shorten your life.

One who fears the Lord understands that Christ commanded us in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry. Jesus said not to take thought for your life but instead seek ye first the kingdom of God. If you are constantly worried about the things of this world, the things of this world will consume you. However, if you take your time to think of the things of God, you will experience the peace that passeth all understanding. The treasures of this world not only are corruptible, but if you spend your time pursuing after them, they will corrupt you and can shorten your life.

If you were to do the math, you would discover that Methuselah has the longest recorded life-span of any individual. It is also interesting to note that Methuselah apparently died the same year that the flood came. A question thus arises, did Methuselah die in the flood, or did God hold off the flood until one of his few remaining faithful servants died? We do know that Methuselah was the son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah and thus it appears he probably was a righteous man.

Have you allowed your knowledge of the ways of God to change your life? Do you live your life by different standards? If you put God first in your life, God can use you to serve HIM. God is your Creator; HE thus ought to know the best way for you to live your life to the fullest. Learn to start living your life in the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

You can spend years in school learning but it will not necessarily increase your understanding in the ways of the Lord. You obtain knowledge of the ways of the Lord by taking the time to hear HIS words and learning to hear HIS still small voice. When you have true understanding, you will be able to use that in your daily life to handle situations that others cannot figure out.

Joshua had a close relationship with God, but when the Gibeonites came into camp with a lie about where they were from and what they were doing, Joshua did not take the time to ask God about whether he should make a treaty with the inhabitants of Gibeon. Joshua learned his lesson because when the nation of Israel lost at Ai, Joshua was able to hear the voice of God to determine that it was Achan who had sinned against God by taking things out of Jericho.

God is willing to give you the knowledge you need in order to properly respond to the problems that you face in this life. However, the question is not whether the Lord is speaking; the real question is whether you are listening to the Lord speaking. You do not have control over the trials you face, but you do have control over whether you turn to God and listen to HIS still small voice. You can choose to listen to God.

The more time you spend listening to the voice of God, the easier it will be for you to understand the ways that God would have you to go. The better you understand the purposes of God for your life, the more content you will be when you are facing trials that seem to be about to destroy you.

How is your knowledge of the ways of God? Hopefully you answered that you could learn more about God. It does not matter how old you are or how many years you have been a Christian, you need to spend more time drawing closer to HIM. God is so big that there is no way that you can ever learn all there is to know about God. The more you learn about who God is, the greater your love for HIM should grow and the more you should desire to learn more about HIM.

What is your goal in life? What talents has God given you to use for the furtherance of HIS kingdom? The more you learn about God and HIS purposes for your life, the more you can turn your entire life into a ministry for the furtherance of HIS kingdom. When Paul was in Corinth mending tents, Paul did not just see himself working to make a living. Instead, Paul saw ministry opportunities and was diligent to disciple Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla were then able to disciple others who God had brought into their lives and thus the ministry of Paul was greatly expanded.

Paul constantly was seeking to draw closer to God. Paul was not idle with his needle and thread but instead he redeemed the time by sharing Christ with those who were around him. You too can be diligent in sharing with those who God brings into your life the truth of who God is. However, how can you share with others who God is if you do not take the time to draw closer to God yourself?

It is time for you to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. The more time you spend drawing closer to God, the more doors God will be able to open for you to minister. You must take the time to put the things of God first in your life so that you can be a bright light in a dark land.

Proverbs 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

The Hebrew word prudence here could also be translated as discretion or subtilty. In Websters 1828 dictionary, he states that prudence differs from wisdom in that prudence implies more caution and reserve than wisdom, or is exercised more in foreseeing and avoiding evil, then in devising and executing that which is good. Websters defines prudence as wisdom applied to practice.

Wisdom and prudence dwell together. They have different purposes, but where you find one, you should find the other. In a way, the relationship between wisdom and prudence is the same as the relationship with a husband and a wife. A husband and a wife are two distinct individuals, but they work in harmony together to accomplish more than they could on their own.

In Genesis 2:18, God said it was not good that man should be alone. Along the same lines, it is not good to try to exercise wisdom without prudence or prudence without wisdom. God made woman for man and God made wisdom and prudence to dwell with one another.

Just as when a husband and wife dwell together and follow the command of God to be fruitful and multiply, so too does wisdom and prudence produce fruit. In this passage, we are told that when wisdom and prudence dwell together, they find out knowledge of witty inventions. The Hebrew word which is translated witty inventions means a plan, usually evil, sometimes good, device, discretion, intent, witty invention, lewdness, mischievous, thought, wickedly.

After Solomon asked for wisdom to rule the people God had given to him, he faced a very difficult decision. Two prostitutes came to him each claiming that the living child was theirs and that the dead child belonged to the other. Because of the wisdom he had, Solomon applied that wisdom to his practical knowledge of the heart of a mother and he ordered that the baby be cut in two. Because of his wisdom and prudence, he was able to obtain knowledge of who had the wicked plan.

Solomon is not the only person who can discern the wicked intentions of others. If you take the time to put the things of God first in your life, God can give you the wisdom to avoid the traps of others. If you desire to avoid the traps of the wicked, then you need to seek the wisdom of God. The more time you put into drawing closer to God, the louder HIS still small voice will be and the easier it will be for HIM to direct you away from the evil plots of others.

The knowledge of the ways of God can only be obtained when you take the time to put the things of God first. The more time you spend reading and meditating upon your Bible and talking with God, the more God will be able to reveal to you the evil plans of the wicked. In a way, you can be a Sherlock Homes in the spiritual realm. God can show you the small clues that so many pass by without noticing. However, you must first train your spiritual mind to desire the things of God. You must learn to ask God for HIS wisdom.

Proverbs 7:1 My son keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

How can you keep that which you have not obtained? You cannot keep a rare family heirloom if you have never received it. As such, you need to obtain the words of God. When you understand what God has to say to you, then you are in a better position to live your life according to HIS principles.

How do you lay up the commandments of God? This verse is encouraging you to meditate upon the commands of God. This means that you need to take the time to not only read the commands of God, but that you actually take the time to fully comprehend what God is trying to tell you to do. When you read the word of God, your comprehension is limited. When you memorize the word of God, your comprehension is better, but it is still possible that you have just memorized words and you have not taken the time to understand the verses implication to your life. When you meditate upon the word of God, you are taking the steps necessary to start hiding the word of God in your heart.

Meditation upon the word of God is more than just memorization. Meditation requires that you actively seeking to hear from God. Meditation can take on many forms, but as a general rule, you are looking at the verse or verses and are searching for the meaning of the verse and how God desires you to apply the verse to your life.

Do you desire to hear the still small voice of God directing you in the way you are to go? Are you facing some difficult decisions that you need God to open your eyes and reveal to you HIS perfect way? Do you wish that God would give you a pillar of fire by night or a pillar of cloud by day so that you might understand the perfect plan of God? You must remember that God does desire to direct your step, and even though the nation of Israel had a pillar of cloud and fire, it does not mean that their hearts were ready to follow the perfect plan of God.

Hearing God should be the desire of your heart. Sometimes God might speak to you as HE spoke to Samuel, other times it might be more like Elijah who had to take a 40-day journey up into a mountain before he heard the voice of God. Sometimes God might direct your steps through others as HE directed Ruth to her new husband through the advise of her mother-in-law, while other times HE may personally appear to you and tell you the way you are to go as HE did with Abraham a year before Isaac was born.

Do not try to put God in a box. Rather than try to fit God into your perfect little mold, you need to break all the molds and try to fit your life into HIS standards for your life. When you daily seek to hear the voice of God through meditation, you are giving God the opportunity to speak to you through HIS word. God may open your eyes to the way HE would have you to go.

You need to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. Meditation on the word of God will be one of the most important tools that you have in your life in order to better understand the ways of God. The more time you spend studying the word of God, the more God can open your eyes to reveal to you the way you are to go.

Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Are you going to do what is right in the eyes of God or are you going to do that which is right in your own eyes. How are you going to know if the path you are taking is the path of the wicked or the path that God desires you to take? Satan is good at disguising a path to make it justifiable in your mind as to why you should take it; however, the way of man always seems right.

You need the knowledge of God in order to know what path God desires you to take. Sometimes you are going to be faced with difficult decisions and it is your responsibility to take the time to see if the path that is before you is the path of God or the path of the wicked one. Do not chose the path that you are going to take purely on what makes you feel best; instead, you need to seek God and hear HIS still small voice.

Sometimes the path you must take will associate you with evil men. However, just because you are around evil individuals, it does not mean that you must yield to their debauchery. Instead, God may have sent you in order to be the salt and the light. Your path may cross those of the wicked, but it does not mean that you are to behave like the wicked.

Elijah was a man who was righteous. On several occasions, his path crossed with Ahab and Jezebel. Just because his path crossed with the wicked king and queen, it did not give him permission to commit wickedness. Instead, every time that God had him cross paths with Ahab or Jezebel, he was reminding them that there is a God and that they are living their lives in a way that is not pleasing to God.

Elijah listened to God and because he listened, he was safe. When God told him to go to the brook, he went. When God told him to go to the widow, he went. When God told him to go to Ahab, he went. When God told him to take a journey unto Mount Horeb, he went. Elijah listened to God and God directed his paths. Because Elijah understood the will of God, he was used of God in a mighty way.

Why do you think that Elijah was able to hear God speak to him so many times during his life? Do you think it was because he was a righteous man and God liked to speak to Elijah? One of the reasons God spoke so much to Elijah was because Elijah was actually an active listener to the voice of God. Elijah sought God and when he heard God, he obeyed. Too often, we are too busy for God; we are not willing to lay aside our daily cares in order to hear HIS still small voice. Even when we hear HIS voice, we often chose to do our own thing rather than travel on the path that God desires us to take.

Every path that you cross every day either is the will of God or it is not. How many paths have we entered into that if we had taken the time to look, we would have seen the sign that stated Do Not Enter? God would have made it clear that the path we are taking is not HIS perfect direction for our lives, but because we were unwilling to seek first the kingdom of God, we made our own decision that was not pleasing to God.

You must daily take the time to seek the will of God for your life. You must add to your life the knowledge of the ways of God. If you daily seek HIS face, HE will be able to direct you in the way that you are to go. As you read the words of God, ask HIM to direct your path. Allow God to open your eyes so that you can do that which is right in HIS eyes.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understand.

In the next verse, we see a promise for those who trust in God and lean not on their own understanding. The promise is that God will direct their paths. In order for one to receive direction from God, they must be willing to lay aside their own personal ambitions and allow God to guide them in the way that they should go.

If you do not want God to direct your paths because you think you can do a good enough job on your own, then go ahead and make your decisions based upon your own understanding. The religious leaders during the time of Jesus were not willing to accept Jesus as the Son of God because they relied upon their own understanding. Because they were expecting a mighty warrior who would lead them into battle to free them from the Romans, they ended up killing the ONE whom they were looking for. It is a very dangerous game to be relying upon your own understanding.

You need to be more like Naaman who desired to wash in the cleaner waters of Syria, but eventually obeyed God and the direction of Elisha and washed in the Jordan River. Naaman could logically argue why the rivers of Syria were cleaner than the Jordan River, however, God had not asked him to wash in whatever river he chose to wash in, Naaman had to trust God and he had to lean not on his own understanding in order to be healed.

Noah is another man who simply trusted in God and leaned not on his own understanding. Noah did not know what rain was, nor was the concept of a flood one which would have made any sense. Nonetheless, Noah trusted in God; he did not rely upon his own understanding and God saved him and his family.

Do you desire to receive direction from God? If so, then you need to stop relying upon your own understanding. This means that you are going to have to start taking the time to add to your knowledge of the ways of God so that you can hear God and know what HE desires you to do.

In Psalm 119:105 we learn that Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Knowledge of the ways of God comes by spending time in the word; you will be adding knowledge of the ways of God when you start daily meditating upon HIS words. The more HIS words become a part of your life, the more you will understand the direction of God. However, if you refuse to draw near unto God and you insist on doing everything your own way, God will let you do your own thing, but do not be surprised when your life is not as smooth as it needs to be.

When you chose to do things your own way, God may uses a lack of finances, an attack on your health, or an attack on your family to direct you back to HIM. However, just because you have financial problems, health problems, or family problems, it does not mean that you have sinned. Just look at the life of Job as an example of a righteous individual who did the right thing yet still suffered many trials.

Stop relying upon your own understanding; instead, learn to draw closer to God and hear HIS still small voice. Start spending your time talking with God so that you understand the way that God would have you to go. As you trust in the Lord with all your heart, as you obey the direction that HE is leading you, and as you resist the urge to do your own thing, then you will be in a position that God can lead you and direct you in the way you are to go.

Acts 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Paul was a prisoner aboard a ship bound for Italy. That ship ended up being caught in a huge storm and the ship was destroyed. Paul and the other passengers found themselves upon the island of Melita. Paul was serving his fellow prisoners and the guards by finding wood to help keep the fire going. As he was throwing the wood upon the fire, a viper reacting to the heat latched onto the arm of Paul. Paul simply shook the snake into the fire.

Paul, you were just bitten by a poisonous snake, why did you not make more of a scene? It is simply my fellow Christian; God had told me I was going to Rome to preach there, why should I be afraid for my life since I had already seen God spare my life so many different ways on this trip? My being bit by a snake was a test to see if I would trust in God and God ended up using this viper to open up some doors for me to minister upon the island of Melita.

You see, to the people on the island, I was simply another prisoner. Why should they listen to me? However, once they saw the miracle that I was able to survive the viper, God was able to use that to enable me to spread the gospel in such a remote place.

Trials will often come up in your life that you allow to distract you from the purposes of God. You need to learn to be more like Paul and simply brush trials aside and not give them much of a thought. How discouraging is it for Satan if he brings a huge trial into your life but because you know the will of God and you trust God so much, you are able to simply brush aside the trial as if it were nothing.

How you respond to trials in your life is up to you? You can react and throw a fit or you can step over the obstacle and continue along your way. Have you ever observed a computer game where the character is moving towards his objective when all of a sudden an object comes along the bottom of the screen and takes out the main character? The first time it happened, the character died, however, the more the person played the game, the more adapt he became at jumping over the obstacle, or even better yet, using that obstacle to help him complete the level and earn more points. In a way, we should treat our trials like the character in the video game treats obstacles in his life, we need to treat them as if they are nothing but a minor hindrance towards our purpose.

In order to overcome trials like Paul was able to do with the snake, it means you need to spend plenty of time drawing closer to God and seeking HIS perfect will for your life. As you add knowledge of the ways of God to your life, your confidence in hearing the still small voice of God will grow and you will be more sure of what your purpose in life becomes. Satan is going to try to trip you up and get you to lose focus of the plan God has for you. Instead of treating the trial as a major obstacle, you need to understand where this obstacle comes from and simply allow God to take care of you.

The more a person plays a video game, the more knowledgeable he becomes of the obstacles that come his way. The more time you spend studying the word of God, the more knowledgeable you become of your enemy the devil and the more equipped you become at overcoming the trials of life. You must spend the time adding to your knowledge of the ways of God. The more time you spend with God, the easier it will be for you to do the right thing and simply not allow the trial to trip you up and cause you to stumble.

Acts 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

The good favor of God today does not mean that you receive HIS favor tomorrow. Too often, we see Christians who simply guide their life by anything that appears to be the blessing of God. When it comes time to make a decision, they stick up their sails and whatever direction they seem to think that God is going to bless them in, that is the way that they are going to go.

This is what happened with Julius and the master of the ship that Paul was on when he was traveling to Rome to be tried by Caesar. Paul had warned Julius that there would be much destruction if they took off, but the Master of the ship had encouraged Julius to push on. When the winds came up in the right direction, the master and Julius decided that they were going to push on and try to reach their destination.

Christ commanded us in the Sermon on the Mount that God maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. Just because you are receiving the blessing of God today, it does not mean that God intends to bless you tomorrow. God desires for you to make proper decisions. HE desires that you learn to hear HIS still small voice and follow HIM. If you are trying to find excuses why you can do what you desire to do, Satan will be sure to give you the excuses you need.

God desires to refine HIS children so that the impurities of their lives will be removed and they will be better reflectors of HIS life. This requires that God brings trials into your life so that you turn your eyes upon HIM and learn to rely fully upon HIM. HE desires to lead you through the valley of the shadow of death knowing that you will be a better light for HIM when you come out on the other side. However, if you are a Christian who only follows God to the blessings, when trials comes, you are going to do everything in your power to get out of the trial, and your focus will not be on the right thing.

Julius and the master of the ship saw what they thought was the blessing of God and they ended up facing a storm that they could have avoided. They made the wrong choice for the wrong reason and they and all those under them and all those who entrusted them suffered as a result.

Ruth was faced with a difficult decision. Naomi encouraged her to go back to the house of her father so that she could have an opportunity to remarry. Naomi acknowledged that she was not going to have another son and that if Ruth followed her, things were going to be difficult. Ruth did not choose to take the easy path. Had Ruth gone back home like Orpah did, a book in the Bible never would have been written about her. Instead, Ruth chose to do the right thing even though it appeared to be the wrong decision and God blessed her in the end. God opened the door so that Ruth found a husband and God opened her womb and gave her a son.

There is more to making the right decision then sticking your figure in the air to figure out which way the wind is blowing. God is willing to make HIS way clear to you, but you must get past all the circumstantial evidence and you must be willing to learn to hear HIS still small voice. This means that you must take the time to seek HIS will. You must spend time in prayer talking with God discovering HIS direction for your life. As you seek HIM, you will add to your knowledge of the ways of God; the more you know HIM, the easier making the right decision will be.

Acts 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter;

Paul was a prisoner being taken to Rome. Along the way, he advised Julius, the centurion who was in charge of him, that they should not proceed because if they did, there would be much damage, not only to the ship but also to those on board. Julius chose to follow the advice of the master of the ship because his arguments seemed logical. The ship was not in a protected port, and if they hurried, they could reach a protected port where it would be easier to spend the winter.

Paul may have had a close relationship with God, but it was logic that drove Julius to make the decision that he made. It appears that Julius did not have a personal relationship with God. Why should he listen to an illogical argument of Paul compared to the perfectly logical answer of the one who makes his living sailing the seas? They say hindsight is always 20/20. Because Julius and the master of the ship chose to follow a perfectly logical solution, there was much destruction to the ship and the cargo.

How often in your life do you follow the example of Julius and the master of the ship? How often do you allow yourself to be guided by logic? You have a decision to make, and you do not understand the will of God so you simply make the most logical decision. Just because one choice is logical, it does not mean that it is the best option or the option that God desires you to take.

You must remember that God desires to be involved in every aspect of your life. This is why HE tells us to seek HIM and we shall find HIM. Julius was not even asking for direction from God, but the direction God desired Julius to go was made clear to him. However, Julius did not understand how to hear and respond to the voice of God and as such, he made a wrong decision.

When the servant of Abraham was commissioned to find a wife for Isaac, he turned to God. Before he started seeking, he prayed to God to direct his steps. God heard the prayer of the servant of Abraham and sent Rebekah. This servant understood that God directed the steps of man. He had seen God work in the life of his master Abraham and thus when he was on his own, he turned to God to show him the perfect woman for Isaac.

God directs in many ways. When you do not know which way to go, do not chose the most logical path and proceed. If you are faced with a choice and you do not know the will of God, stop and pray. Let God direct your path. What if the servant of Abraham had not prayed? What if he just went into town and looked for the girl whom he thought was the prettiest or the girl from the wealthiest family in town. If the servant had done this, it is very possible that the girl would have rejected moving to a strange land to marry a man who had no home. The servant would have been very frustrated and would have come home with no wife for Isaac.

You cannot live your life on this earth simply by logic. Instead, you must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God. Do not be quick to make decisions, instead, be willing to stop and pray and seek God and the direction HE would have you to go. Logic is not the tool that will save you. Instead, the only thing that will help you make the right decisions in life is a close relationship with God and your ability to hear HIS still small voice.