New hope (Part 2) – Day 19
New hope ... with the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Bible text(s)
The LORD
Many readers have asked me to write something about hearing God’s voice. Here are four practical steps from Habakkuk 2:1-3:
Habakkuk 2:1-3: I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
STEP 1: FIND A QUIET PLACE TO SPEND TIME WITH GOD
Habakkuk 2:1: I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post.
Although God is everywhere and we can speak to him at any time of the day, it is sometimes necessary to break away to a quiet place, to focus on him and to hear from him. Habakkuk’s “quiet place” was the watchtower of the city. Yours may be your room, office or even a park in your community. In our “quiet place”, we put our focus on God and wait with an expectant heart to hear from him.
STEP 2: BE OPEN TO THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Habakkuk 2:1: … There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.
God speaks to us daily, but we, at times, miss it because we are expecting an audible voice. While God can speak in an audible voice, he mostly speaks to us through his Holy Spirit in the form of spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, his word or impressions in our hearts. For example, you are driving in your car, think of a specific person and experience an urge to pray for him or her; or you sit with a crisis at work, you pray about it and suddenly, you know exactly what to do. Where did the idea come from? It is probably the Holy Spirit guiding you. When you are in your quiet place, be open to receive a message from God.
STEP 3: FOCUS ON GOD
Habakkuk 2:2: … I will wait to hear what the Lord will say to me …
How do we wait on God? As God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit, we can immediately invite the Holy Spirit to talk with us. Begin to thank God for who he is and what he means to you. Thank Jesus for what he has done on the cross for you. Another good idea is to meditate on promises from the Bible. It reminds us of God’s greatness and his ability to help us.
You can also discuss your specific challenges with God and ask him for specific guidance. After all, he already has the answers to problems you have not even faced yet.
STEP 4: WRITE YOUR DIALOGUE
Habakkuk 2:2-3: Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
God instructed Habakkuk to write down his instruction on clay tablets. He also cautioned them to wait patiently for the breakthrough. When the Holy Spirit speaks to us today, we should write down the answer in a journal. It will remind us about the promises of God and help us not to lose faith when it takes longer to become a reality in our lives.
How do you know it is God speaking to you? God’s message will always be in line with his word and his character. So if you’re in doubt, go back to the word and test the message.
Do you need wisdom today? Find a quiet place where you can meet with God, open your heart, focus on him and write down what he tells you. This may be the first step of a new adventure with him! God bless.
