It's been a long time since I mentioned it, but I believe there are four elements in our relationship with God. We must seek him, serve him, sense him, and share him. That'll preach! It's not just a nice alliteration, but it's what I see in God's Word. Seeking is the desire to connect, serving is the obedient response, sensing is the deepening relationship, and sharing is the witness we can't hold back. Of the four, I suspect that sensing is the one we understand the least and scares us the most.
Our relationship with God is a relationship of faith. I can't reach over and touch his arm like I can with my wife, but I need a relationship with him that is just as real as the one I have with my wife. My relationship with God deepens the more we communicate. That is the most important building block of any relationship. As we talk more, my faith grows. As my faith grows, my sense of his presence grows. I know he is there - now - everywhere I go, and I find comfort in that, rather than feeling trapped. The greater my sense of his presence, the great my sense of his reality. It's not just "I believe" but "I know" when I think of him.
The more I sense his presence the more I am aware of his voice. No, it's not some whispering in my ear or some new revelation, but it is the awareness that godly thoughts, subconscious ideas, and pangs of guilt may not all be just from my thought processes. God can put a thought in my mind just as surely as Satan can. Nothing has ever limited or restrained the voice of God except our own hearts. Closing our ears is something that takes place about fifteen inches lower. I wonder how many times I have ignored, blocked out, or openly rejected the voice of God?
The next time you get a great idea about serving, helping, lifting up, or just doing what is right - recognize that the voice you're hearing may not be your own.
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