God Speaks in Strange Places
Temptation is something common to people of God. Jesus himself was tempted by the devil, and by this we know that no matter how holy we are, how free from the power of sin, we will only be free from temptation when we die.
The devil knows where to tempt us. I’m sure you’ve discovered this! He knows just how to push your buttons and get you dreaming of things you know you don’t want to do.
Finding Divine Guidance in Unconventional Places
For me one of the biggest temptations is food. I find it easy to eat a bit too much, to over-indulge, and it was on a day of struggling with this temptation that I went for a run in frustration. Some of you are shaking your head in pity as you hear that, thinking this silly man RUNS when he’s frustrated? Won’t that add to more frustration? But for me I’ve often found that a run or a walk or some exercise can really clear my mind and help me.
So in this state of frustration because of my temptations and those extra cookies that I should have said no to, I went on a run and I began to pray. I began to ask God on this run, how can I handle these temptations in a more effective way, Lord? How can I be free of such things and not fall back into sinful patterns?
Well 5km later when I arrived home, I had a strategy all worked out. And I will share it with you in the days to come.
But for today, I want to ask you this: are you listening for God’s voice, even in strange places – like on a run? Many of us still think of church as the only place that God will speak. And church is a wonderful place to seek Him: the atmosphere is right, with worship music and prayer and the Word being preached, we can seek God and hear from him there. Of course, God usually speaks most strongly through His Word, and so if you want to hear from God, open your Bible and I am certain He will speak.
Embracing Divine Guidance in Everyday Moments
And yet sometimes God speaks in strange moments. In unusual places. Like on a run. Or in the shower. Or waiting in line at Checkers. Or in traffic. Or while you’re trying to sleep. Are you listening for His voice in those moments?
To be sure, if you think you’ve heard from God in a moment like this, check the message you received with the message of the Bible. It could be that you just made something up yourself and God had nothing to do with it. But on the other hand, God does speak to us through our thoughts, I believe. He does put thoughts in our minds. Are you open to hear from him? Or have you crammed your day and your mind so full of noise that you never stop and talk to him?
This run that I went on gave me some much needed guidance because for once I didn’t just jam earphones into my ears and fill my head with more noise. I listened. I rolled ideas around my mind. I prayed and prayed and prayed.
What if God wants to speak to you today in a moment like this? Will you be listening?
