Sometimes we hear God’s voice through spending time in the Word. Sometimes we feel His presence through spending time in the glorious beauty of His creation. Sometimes we just need to slow down and pay attention to the “nudges” He gives us by the serendipitous, perfectly coordinated events in our lives. I have had the blessing to hear His voice through these nudges. Pay attention, and you will hear God speaking to you, too.
My husband’s sedan had been both a blessing and a curse. We think maybe the car was more of a blessing to the subsequent owners than it had been to us, as we had been the owners while it underwent a number of expensive repairs. By the time the new owner took possession, the car should have been trustworthy! I will always remember the sedan, but mostly because we were truly blessed by a lesson in trust God taught us through the sale of that car.
The grad student who planned to buy the sedan needed a few days to gather his funds, so he gave us $300 in cash as a down payment to show that he was a serious buyer. Since my husband worked near the bank, he had planned to deposit the cash over his lunch hour someday. The money sat on his dresser for several days—maybe even weeks–before he finally stuck it in his pocket one day, thinking he would deposit it on his way to CrossTrainers, a Christian men’s lunch gathering.
With no extra time on the way to CrossTrainers, my husband decided to wait and deposit the money after lunch. At lunch, the speaker shared information about the marital challenges recently deployed military men and women have upon returning home. The speaker asked the audience to consider sponsoring such a military couple to attend a marriage weekend to help them strengthen their marriage. My husband was intrigued. The cost to sponsor a couple? $300.
Out of respect for me, my husband came home and told me the story, asking my opinion on donating the $300 to help such a couple. In amazement, I told him that I did not need to give him an answer because God already had!
I pray that the couple we sponsored gained as much trust in God and in each other as we did through that experience.
1 Samuel 3:9 NASB
…‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’”…
Psalm 62:8 NIV
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Lord, help me to listen carefully to hear your voice. Help me to slow down and pay attention to the messages you are sending me. Help me to distinguish your voice from mine. Help me to determine your will, not mine. Help me to trust you always and to follow you daily.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
by Deb Russell