I Hear Voices, I Hear Voices!

VOICES By Chris Young

   Okay, so I stole this title  from one who was once my favorite artist, well at least for 8 months of my life, hence inspiring LOVE'S MUSES! Yet, my point is we do hear voices, three of them.  I was just talking to GOD about something so dear on my heart. I thought I heard in my spirit Him reminding me of something that happened 41 years ago when I first began dating my husband, whom I did not know would end up being my husband, then. I wondered if that was GOD reminding me of what I thought was such an insignificant moment.  It was the last day I ever spent with my college boyfriend of three years. At the time we had broken up, but the attachment was still there, and he was trying to get me back. I simply adored his family, even more than I loved my own. They accepted me and loved me back more than I had ever been loved. I had just assumed we would be together for the rest of our lives. I was hell-bent on marrying into this family and spending my life with him. I was not used to being without him in my life, because we were together upwards of twelve hours a day, everyday. I don't remember a day I spent without him all those years. Not being with him felt like not being with my left arm. (I'm left-handed) He was the best thing that had ever happened to me up to that age.

    GOD reminded me of that  morose feeling of dread I had inside all that day. It was as if He told me, "This is no more, it needs to stop."  I get pretty attached to people and I am terrible at cutting people out of my life, especially if I ever loved them, let alone how much I loved this man. He was my first true love.  I was so crushed and heart-broken. I couldn't bear to tell him because he loved me so much and I loved him just as much. I did not want to hurt him, but I knew something else was coming. I wasn't even a believer  then. I knew it would be the last time we would ever be together. I never stopped loving him, but I knew, I had to move on. It was a difficult break up that took well over six months, and to this day I think of him fondly in my heart some four decades later.

   After the memory suddenly flooded my mind, I asked GOD if that very old memory, which I have not remembered since that day, if it was Him who sent it to prove the answer to His answer to me. Then He reminded me of the three "voices" we hear in our heads and what He taught me a while ago of how to tell the difference. Sometimes, the hardest voice to obey or understand is the one that comes from YHWH GOD.

 These are the three voices we hear: 

   First and foremost, if we belong to GOD, we hear the devil's minions' voices as they are allowed to plant thoughts in there. They are negative, pessimistic, pertain to the lust of the flesh, bathed in confusion, discouraging. They are full of doubt. They will tell us what we want to hear, because although his minions cannot read our minds, they have studied our behavior and know our past better than we do. Only by seeking YHVH GOD with our whole hearts can we be free from these minion thoughts. 

  Then there's the carnal nature which is not as pessimistic, but includes our personal desires, things that appeal to our hearts or things we "wish." These also appeal to our flesh, but maybe in a more wholesome way at times. They may even be of goodwill, but not GOD's will. We can talk ourselves out of the carnal nature voices with Scriptures GOD has taught us.

   Finally, there is The Holy Spirit's voice.  It matches GOD's character and agrees with Scripture. It makes no sense in human reasoning. It comes back over and over again, and we cannot make it go away no matter how hard we try. Sometimes, it is an unpleasant thought of something we have to do and we don't want to do it.  We know we will face opposition, but there's a peace that surrounds it that is inexplicable in human terms.  Sometimes, it's full of hope and belief for the impossible, knowing GOD can do it.  It calms us and gives us that perfect sense of we are doing the right thing even if it's the last thing we want to do. 

   So, ask yourself those three question:  Does it appeal to my flesh? Does it line up with the Character of GOD? Does it line up with Scripture.  Then pray on it some more. YHVH will confirm it in ways you never would have expected or even ask of Him.