Listening To That Still Small Voice

How many of you have watched the movie Pinocchio when you were younger? Do you remember the famous Jiminy Cricket lines? I bet you'll sing this one, "When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are anything your heart desires will come to you, if your heart is in your dream no request is too extreme when you wish upon a star as dreamers do" or how about "a conscience is that still small voice that people won't listen to." How true that statement is, how many times have we failed to listen to what God has put on our hearts? This movie has a great message, only we need to translate it to listening to the Holy Spirit!

John 14:26-27 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

How many times have we struggled because we failed to listen to what the Holy Spirit put on our hearts? You know, that still small voice that speaks to us at the moment when you have a gut feeling something is right or wrong? It seems when we fail to listen that is when we find turmoil, but when we do listen life seems to flow effortlessly for us.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Can you compare a time when you failed to listen, do you remember the frustration you felt? How about a time when you did listen, remember how easy everything fell into place?

Finding the balance can be tricky and often times we are left questioning which voice we are listening to the Holy Spirits or our own. I can tell you from personal experience when God puts something on my heart and I fail to follow through I instantly feel guilty and when I follow through there is an indescribable peace and joy that comes over me.

Our challenge is to begin listening to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. The more we listen the more mature we will become spiritually because his voice will outweigh our own!

Isaiah 11:2-3

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.

John 14:15-17 If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you.

Written by: Jill Theriault

Crossroads Coaching - @crossroadscoachingongodstime