Devotions

One of the greatest blessings a true believer has is to know the voice of God. It is possible to hear God’s voice today as certainly as did Abraham and Moses—as clearly as did Samuel and David—as surely as did Paul, Peter, and the apostles.

God has always sought for a people who would honor and fear his voice. Yet, in our day many voices are crying out pretending to be the voice of God and thousands are being led astray. They put their very lives in the hands of a teacher or preacher who then becomes God to them. But no one is infallible and you need to know and hear God’s voice directly in order to judge what is being taught.

In addition, within our hearts are many voices crying out, all of them pretending to be the very voice of God. If you trust any of these voices without trying them all by God's Word, you will be led astray! There is the voice of our flesh, the voice of our stubborn will, the voice of the enemy, and the voice of the world. All of them are sweet, gentle, and promising you "This is God speaking!"

Let me tell you who is sure to be deceived: it is that Christian who thinks he can't be deceived — the one who once truly heard, but now moves by impressions and voices which have not come out of the secret closet. We are not infallible and every word we get is not from God.

Only those who value the Master’s voice enough to wait for him will hear him. God says to us, “If you want to hear my voice, pray to me in secret and I will reward you openly” (see Matthew 6:6). Busyness, lusts, covetousness, and the cares of life can choke out his voice.

God wants to speak a fresh word to you today! If you want to correctly hear his voice, get alone with him. His presence always accompanies his voice and if you spend time in his Word, the Holy Spirit will confirm everything with Scripture. That is the path to true joy and peace.  

Some think that believers should always be upbeat, always sure of where they are going, always self-fulfilled and satisfied, but many times our smiles camouflage pain, confusion and sorrow. All true men and women of God have experienced such things. If you feel spiritually, physically and emotionally bankrupt, knowing that without a supernatural infusion of Christ’s strength you simply cannot go on, you are not alone. But be assured that there is complete victory for you!

The Bible is full of accounts of great men of God who came to the end of their rope. David is an example of “a man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22) and yet at times he was overwhelmed with remorse, depression, and negative emotions of all kinds. “I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long” (Psalm 38:6).

Why was David allowed to endure so much loss and turmoil in his life? Some of it came as a result of his sin, for which he repented with sorrow, but it was also because godly character was being forged in him. There was not a moment the Holy Spirit was not with David, but he was permitted to come to the end of himself at times.  

God promises strength to his anointed: “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield … my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise Him” (Psalm 28:6-7). If you will call on him, he will pour his strength into you: “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul … Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand … and Your right hand will save me” (Psalm 138:3, 7).

You can trust the Lord to see you through any circumstance in your life. The Word of God is full of glorious promises and our Lord delights in our faith and trust. Don’t neglect to encourage yourself in the Lord, just as David did, and grow stronger and stronger each day.  

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Paul was God’s chosen one, called from the life he was living and made into someone different. In addressing the saints here, he goes into a prolonged blessing, speaking everything that is in his heart regarding the greatness and goodness of Jesus (see verses 3-14).

Even though Paul was a learned man, he was not trying to impress anyone with his knowledge, as theologians sometimes do. He was voicing the cry of his heart, his deep passion for God and what he had done for him. And he was ­glorifying the Father!

In Acts 9, the account of the miracle that God did in Paul’s life gives us a glimpse of why he exalted Christ with such passion and purity and fervor. This was not mere theology to him, not dry doctrine to be debated, but this was reality — something that Jesus accomplished in him personally. Just as Paul was convinced that he was doing God’s work when he was sold out to his old form of belief — breathing threats from his venomous heart against the disciples of Christ — he was now completely changed, committed, and captivated by the love of Jesus, his Redeemer.

Paul had been filled with pride when Jesus stepped in and changed the very fabric of who he was. The light of heaven blinded him while he was still breathing threats against the followers of Christ, and he was knocked to the ground — blind. He came out of that divine encounter filled with an electrifying testimony of the irresistible love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Paul says, “Grace to you and peace from God.” Has your life been turned upside down and set on a new course? Have you experienced God’s grace and peace in your life? How wonderful to know that it is a free gift from your Father, and yours for the taking through Jesus Christ.

When the devil entices believers to sin, it is important to realize that he loves to paint a beautiful, idyllic picture, but not the whole picture — not the anguish, loss, sorrow and heartache. He does this in order to take you right out of the battle. He most certainly did this on the rooftop when King David observed another man’s wife. In that critical moment, David looked at the picture before him and made a wrong choice, subsequently falling into adultery.

The Lord had once given David an incredible promise. “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). In other words, walk with me, and I will bless you and your house. Likewise, God promises to bless us, but his blessing is not unconditional. There are always consequences to the choices we make.

We all come to those crucial points in life that have the potential to greatly impact the course of our future, just as David did. I cannot help but think, if only David had made a different choice at that pivotal moment. Sadly, he made a wrong choice, never believing that he would become a murderer and a liar, leading people into defeat. Yet, even then, David discovered that God was merciful!

David returned to his first love because ultimately, as the Scriptures describe, he was a man after God’s own heart. Psalm 51 gives us a glimpse of his heart: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions … and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). 

Take heart if somewhere along the way you have made a wrong choice because he is waiting to hear from you. He will give you the victory right where you are! That’s what first love is all about, and with it are all the blessings that come only from the hand of God.  

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001.

“They brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them” (Acts 5:15).

The apostles lived and ministered in the realm of the miraculous. Even laymen such as Stephen and Philip, who served tables, were mighty in the Holy Spirit, working miracles and stirring entire cities. Peter was so full of the Holy Spirit that the sick were brought into the streets on beds and couches so that his shadow would fall on them for healing. It was not uncommon to see cripples healed and leaping through the temple.

Why are we not seeing such miraculous power today? God has not changed! The apostles knew the cost of the miraculous and eagerly paid it. We have the same promises as the apostles and God is willing to move in such a way again. We need more of Jesus — more of his saving power, more of the miraculous — than any past generation.

Why did God respond miraculously to the apostles? Because they were given to prayer! The book of Acts is the account of holy men and women seeking the Lord’s face. From beginning to end, it tells of how prayer moved God, whether in the upper room, in prison, or in some secret house. They prayed without ceasing, spending hours and days shut in with God until they received clear, detailed guidance. And what incredible specifics God gave them!

Sadly, believers today have been taught to “take everything by faith,” so they seldom pray. Don’t be misled. You can receive the very same clear word from God as the apostles did if you seek his face in prayer with intensity. There is no substitute for time spent in the presence of the King. He is eager to show you his love, mercy, grace and power. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).