How many times have you heard that still small voice whisper softly in your ear, then ignore it and regret it later? It happens to all of us. If you’re in relationship with Christ, most times this still small voice is the Holy Spirit trying to get your attention about something. The Holy Spirit speaks to us often if we tune in and pay attention. We can hear anything from warnings about which way to drive home from work, whether to attend that party or stay home, take the new job, or accept the marriage proposal. We can also hear sage advice, like when to keep our mouths shut (I get this one with some regularity), when to pray for someone else, and when to offer forgiveness.
God used the still small voice to speak to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-12). No shofars, trumpets, or loud thunders needed. Most times, the Lord does not speak to us in obvious ways. We can miss His daily guidance if we don’t find ways to drown out the noise of the world and press into Him. Quiet whispers, gut feelings, a sense of knowing, even feelings and emotions are all ways that the Lord can communicate with us.
Not all voices are from Him, though. Unless you’re grounded in Christ and have a personal relationship with Jesus, the voice (s) you hear could be from another source (good or evil). We all have our own internal compasses that can sometimes affirm the Holy Spirit’s leading or get in the way of it. Some people (sometimes unknowingly) hear voices of evil (demonic spirits) that give direction to wreak havoc in the Lord’s kingdom (some people who commit heinous acts are actually possessed by demonic spirits). Boy am I thankful to be attuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit, because the voice I honor comes from my Lord and Savior.
My husband and I attended a sunset dinner cruise over the weekend for our birthdays. I wasn’t feeling the greatest that day (those pesky female hormones), didn’t feel like going, and prayed on it that morning while I was outside. I specifically asked the Lord whether we should go and asked Him to send a sign. We prepaid for the tickets with no guarantee of refund, I didn’t want to waste them, and it was somewhat last minute to give them away. Minutes after I prayed, my husband texts me that the company issued a refund and we could forgo it. There was my way out.
I ended up having my husband undo the transaction so we could go. It was what we planned for our birthdays, and I like to celebrate special occasions. Long story short, the ship was full of oppression (all kinds of heavy energy…lots of demonic) that was just too much for my extra spiritually sensitive constitution to handle. Had I felt balanced (hormone wise), maybe I could’ve navigated the murky waters. I wanted to jump overboard to dry land within minutes of boarding.
I should qualify that just because I sense negative energy around me (demonic spirits that are bothering other people) doesn’t mean that these people are bad or negative. They are simply oppressed (being bothered by a spirit). Any of us can be spiritually oppressed (which is different from possession) in any given season of our lives. I have, and sometimes it has been during heightened seasons of spiritual warfare when the enemy attacks my health. There was a lot of questionable energy in the spiritual atmosphere that night. The Holy Spirit was quick to remind me (gently and softly), when I started praying for relief (help in managing the energy), “Didn’t I give you a way out, Tara? You have no business being here.”
Be sure to honor that still small voice when it is from the Holy Spirit. The Lord is always right and never fails us. We would be foolish to second-guess Him.
