Episode 64: Hearing God when life doesn’t go according to plan

Episode 64: Hearing God when life doesn’t go according to plan

Episode Description:

Life often seems to throw us ‘curve balls’, and we can end up living lives different from what we imagined. How we deal with these events is vital. In the Bible, Moses dealt with significant events in his life, especially when he went from a ‘somebody’ living in a royal palace to a ‘nobody’ in the outback. He then discovered what God can do with a person fully devoted to Him. Join us as we unpack how Moses heard God amid these events and how it can relate to our life.

Episode Notes:

Background to Moses:

  • We read about Moses in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
  • Episode 63 – Jochebed Moses’s mother and the events surrounding Moses’ birth.
  • Basically, Pharoah was scared of the Israelites in his country and issued an edict to kill every male baby born. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, courageously hid Moses. He was found by Pharoah’s daughter who paid Jochebed to nurse Moses and bring him up for the first approx. eight years of his life.
  • Moses then went to live in the Royal Palace.
  • Can you imagine the emotions behind this story? The jealousy that Jochebed was being paid to bring up her only son. Jealousy that Moses went to live in luxury and have servants, whereas his brother and sister and friends were servants.
  • Flavius Josephus, a Jewish priest, scholar and historian, wrote in the first century in a manuscript called ‘The Antiquities of the Jews’ (Book 2, chapter 10) that Moses became the General of the Egyptian army and was famous for defeating the Ethiopians. Acts 7:22 says Moses was mighty in speech and deeds. He had power and the ability to do anything. He saw an Egyptian and Israelite fighting and went to intervene and killed the Egyptian. Expecting it to be kept quiet, he was obviously shocked and alarmed the next day when he saw two Israelites fighting, and they challenged him about killing the Egyptian. Moses then ran away and lived as a nomad for 40 years.
  • Hebrews 11:24-25 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Moses chose between royalty and being a servant.
  • After Moses had lived in the desert for 40 years, God called Moses through a burning bush experience to lead the Israelites in escaping from the Egyptians to cross to the Promised Land.
  • Moses had several mountain-top experiences with God, one of those being when God gave him the 10 Commandments for the Israelites (Exodus 20)
  • His death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34. Due to an incident recorded in Numbers 20 where Moses didn’t obey God but relied on a past experience, God prevented him from entering the Promised Land.
  • He had been leading this grumbling tribe around and around the desert for 40 years, and then he is prevented from seeing the one thing they were aiming for due to not obeying God.
  • 1st 40 years, Moses thought he was a somebody as Pharoah’s ‘grandson’. 2nd 40 years, Moses believed he was a nobody and lived a nomadic lifestyle as a shepherd. 3rd 40 years – discovered what God can do with a person devoted to him.
  • Moses was fluent in both Hebrew and Egyptian culture.

First Principle: Never underestimate God.

  • God is God. He can do whatever He likes. He can and often will do the bizarre and extraordinary.
  • God spoke to Moses through thunder, fire, and lightning.
  • God used Moses in the miraculous parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape from the Egyptians.
  • God performed many miraculous signs. In Exodus 16, God provided manna and food each night for the Israelites in the desert.
  • God spoke to Moses face to face. Exodus 33:11 “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one would a friend.”
  • Moses sensed and felt God and had visual and auditory experiences. In Exodus 19, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.
  • What’s in your hand? Moses, in Exodus 4 – what was in Moses’ hand? Provision. Protection. Promise. Due to his Egyptian background, he had been taught to pick up snakes by the head so they wouldn’t bite you. God said, pick it up by the tail. Obey me, not your Egyptian ways and knowledge.
  • Always an outcome for disobeying God. Due to disobeying God, Moses wasn’t permitted to cross into the Promised Land. God could have waivered that, but He didn’t. Moses died before the fulfilment of the task. I don’t want to die prematurely before the fulfilment of what God has called me to. What about you?

Second Principle: Identity is important.

  • Acts 7:22 says Moses was mighty in speech and deeds. Yet in Exodus 4:10, we see Moses believed he lacked eloquence. Was slow of speech and stuttered. How Moses saw himself did not line up with how others saw him and how he truly was. Unless the trauma of being caught killing the Egyptian and disappearing into the wilderness for 40 years destroyed his self-esteem. Moses lost all confidence in himself. He felt inferior.
  • Thankfully, God sees us differently. God knows us intimately. God believes in us and our potential.
  • Moses had a massive fear of rejection in Exodus 3, telling God what some of the problems he might face could be. Despite God telling and showing him otherwise, he felt inadequate, unworthy, useless, and undeserving.
  • Moses did not trust God enough to believe God could triumph and do whatever through Moses. God gave him three signs – throwing his stick on the ground and it turns into a snake, putting his hand inside his jacket and it becomes leprous, and water turning into blood. Even after all these miraculous signs, Moses doubts.

Third Principle: Pay attention to the unusual.

  • Moses call in Exodus 3:1-6 Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So, Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
  • Whenever you see a strange sight, investigate.

Summary:

  1. Never underestimate God.
  2. Identity is important.
  3. Pay attention to the unusual.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “Father God, when you look at me, what do You think?” or “What’s on Your mind, God, when You see me, when You look at me, when You gaze at me?”
  • “Father God, can You tell me more about that please?”
  • Or “God, how do You see me dressed symbolically at the moment (ie what outfit am I wearing eg Warrior, Princess, Sailor etc)?

Time Stamps:

[0:36] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[8:09] – Background to the story of Moses.

[13:14] – First Principle: Never underestimate God.

[19:44] – Second Principle: Identity is important.

[22:59] – Third Principle: Pay attention to the unusual.

[27:18] – Recap the principles.

[27:39] – Prophetic activation.

[29:13] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[32:32] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Exodus, especially chapters 3, 4, 16, 19, 20, 33
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers, especially chapter 20
  • Deuteronomy
  • Acts 7:22
  • Hebrews 11:24-25

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 61: Hearing God in the face of adversity.

Episode 61: Hearing God in the face of adversity.

Episode Description:

Despite being described in the Bible as a man after God’s own heart, David had many failings. Yet, repeatedly, he displayed courage in the face of adversity and quickly repented when he was wrong. When David was faced with a problem, he enquired of the Lord. When he had trouble hearing God, he did the work to distinguish God’s voice from the noise around him and the ‘noise’ within him. Join us as we unpack the story of David in the Bible, the principles we can learn from it, and how to apply them to our lives in hearing God.

Episode Notes:

Background to David:

  • You can read about David in 1 Samuel chapters 16-31, 2 Samuel, right through to 1 Kings 2:10, where he died.
  • Shepherd boy, youngest of 8 sons of Jesse
  • 17 years old – anointed and prophesied over by the prophet Samuel as a future King. 1 Samuel 16:12-13
  • Defeated giant Goliath with a stone and sling.
  • Served under King Saul, then became a fugitive. Hid in a cave.
  • 30 years old – anointed King over Judah for 7 ½ years. It can take a long time for God’s will to come to pass. It wasn’t an easy journey for David.
  • Then anointed King over Israel for 33 years.
  • 70 years old – died after being King for 40 years.

First Principle: Ask God for His perspective on things.

  • Jesse sent David to see how the three older brothers were going in the army. Giant – 1 Sam 17 Israel & the Philistines were at war, each on a hill with a valley between them. Goliath was nearly 10 feet tall with bronze armour and spear. 40 days Goliath challenged Israelites to come and fight him.
  • David’s courage in the face of adversity. Intimidation from Saul, his brothers and Goliath. Eyes remained on God and not on the natural circumstances. Knew God could do the impossible.
  • Also, God had equipped him in the past while caring for sheep. 1 Samuel 17:34-37
  • Use what’s in your hand. 1 Samuel 23:6-13 (David and the ephod – enquire of God)
    • Don’t wear someone else’s armour – your way of hearing God.
    • Bible – God’s Word – way of getting info to you
  • You don’t always need to hear God before you take the next step. Use wisdom and what you have been equipped to do.
  • Listen to the right people. 1 Samuel 23:14-23
  • Enquire of the Lord.

Second Principle:  Value the Presence of God.

  • David valued the presence of God. He did everything possible to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. 2 Sam 6:1-23. He recognised the value of the ark as the earthly throne of the God of Israel. Restoring the ark to a place of prominence in the nation acknowledged the Lord’s Kingship and rule.
  • Worship passionately.
  • Didn’t hold back with emotions.
  • Relationship with God is top priority.
  • Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” The Message version ‘Enter with the password – ‘Thank you’”

Third Principle: Stay close to God.

  • 2 Sam 11:1-27 – David commits adultery with his army captain Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, then kills him. He had stayed home and placed himself in a vulnerable position.
  • A man after God’s own heart. 2 Sam 12 – he realised his error and quickly repented.
  • Enquire of God. Seek confirmation. Frequently, David enquired of the Lord. 1 Sam 23:1-4 battle plans fighting the Philistines.
  • If you can’t hear God, do the work to distinguish God’s voice from the noise around you and the noise within you.
  • Psalm 13 – David’s dark moment. “How long, Lord, will you hide your face from me?”

Summary:

  1. Ask God for His perspective on things.
  2. Value the Presence of God.
  3. Stay close to God.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “God, what do You call me? Do You have a name for me?”
  • “God, why do You call me that?”
  • “Father God, what would it take for me to be called ‘a person after Your own heart’?”

Time Stamps:

[0:37] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[3:30] – Background to the story of David.

[6:25] – First Principle: Ask God for His perspective on things.

[11:17] – Second Principle: Value the Presence of God.

[16:49] – Third Principle: Stay close to God.

[20:50] – Recap the principles.

[21:14] – Prophetic activation.

[22:19] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[24:54] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • 1 Samuel 13:14
  • 1 Samuel chapters 16-31, specifically 16:12-13; 17; 23:1-23;
  • 2 Samuel, specifically 6:1-23; 11:1-27; 12;
  • 1 Kings 1-2:10
  • Acts 13:22
  • Psalm 100:4
  • Psalm 13
  • Psalm 119:105

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 60: Hearing God when you feel unloved.

Episode 60: Hearing God when you feel unloved.

Episode Description:

The story of Leah in the Bible is a messy, complicated, and beautiful story from Scripture. A whole gamut of emotions is displayed – deception, lies, jealousy, envy, desperation, disappointment, despair, heartache and longing, comparison, bitterness, pain and agony with unfulfilled promises. Betrayal. Competition. Fighting. It encompasses God’s ability to redeem broken heartedness, meet us in our imperfections, show up in our dysfunctional families, and fulfil the delayed dreams in our hearts. If you’re feeling the pain of a delayed dream or pain in your family relationships, allow God to speak to you through Leah’s story as you join us in listening to this episode.

Episode Notes:

Background to Leah

  • We read the story of Leah in Genesis 29 & 30.
  • Deception, lies and cheating, comparison, jealousy, envy, sexual misconduct and sleeping with the wrong people were rampant generationally.
  • Jacob was the younger brother, but he cheated his elder brother Esau out of his birthright. Jacob flees to avoid Esau killing him. He comes to the well of his Uncle Laban. He sees Uncle Laban’s youngest daughter Rachel – immediately falls in love with her and asks for her hand in marriage.
  • Jacob had physical characteristics – he rolled away the stone at the well, which would typically require the strength of three men, but he didn’t have the character to match.
  • Laban was another great deceiver and manipulator, and when Jacob asks for Rachel’s hand in marriage says – yes, if you work for me without pay for seven years.
  • Seven long years. Finally, the day of the wedding. That night, Jacob goes into the dark tent, has sex with his wife and wakes in the morning light to see Leah, the older sister who wasn’t as beautiful, staring back at him on the pillow. Imagine Leah witnessing the shock and disappointment in Jacob’s eyes. The shame and humiliation she must have felt.
  • Jacob gets up, goes and finds Laban and complains. Laban says the wedding celebrations last a week, so you can have Rachel at the end of the week, but that’s another seven years of working for me.
  • Woah – the family dynamics that day!! How to destroy your family in one easy step.
  • Can you imagine the tension in that household? Two sisters, living under the same roof and married to the same man, were trying to fulfil their needs, yet the other one had what they wanted the most. Both craving what the other has. Rachel was barren, desperately wanting children but loved by Jacob. Leah’s feelings and knowledge of her being unloved and unwanted but popping out children, intensifies their jealousy.
  • Jacob’s not innocent in this. He amplified their pain. He is harsh and inconsiderate, rebuking Rachel for not having children and blaming him. It was believed that children were a reward from God.
  • Rachel and Leah scheme to give their maids to Jacob. Rachel’s maid Bilhah (who had two sons with Jacob called Dan and Naphtali), and Leah’s maid Zilpah.
  • Leah’s son Reuben found mandrakes, a cure for infertility and brought them to Leah. Rachel asks Leah for them. Leah says you can have them as long as I get to spend tonight in Jacob’s bed. Leah then became pregnant again and gave birth to Issachar and Zebulun. Rachel gets the mandrakes but remains infertile.
  • In Genesis 30:22, God remembers Rachel, and she finally gives birth to Joseph.
  • Leah had six sons and one daughter, Bilhah had two sons, Zilpah had two sons and Rachel had two sons (Joseph and Benjamin).

First Principle: A key to hearing God is to begin with praise and thanksgiving.

  • Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
  • The Message Version puts it this way: “Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise.Thank him. Worship him.
  • Leah feels unloved. Not valued. Has to pay to get to sleep with Jacob. She gives her sons names that reflect this.
  • Reuben – the Lord has seen my affliction. Surely, my husband will love me now. (Love)
  • Simeon – Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also. (Acceptance and value)
  • Levi – Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have borne him 3 sons. (Connection)
  • With the birth of her fourth son Judah, Leah finally realises that God’s love and approval was what mattered in her life.  When she gave birth to her fourth son, she named him Judah which means Praise. She declared, “Now I will praise the Lord.” (Gen 29:35) Leah changed her priorities. Instead of focusing on her husband, she shifted her focus to the Lord. No longer was Leah desperate for Jacob, her gaze had shifted upwards, and she found her joy in the Lord.
  • This time, I will praise the Lord.
  • A word for someone: stop nurturing your feelings of rejection. Stop striving and longing for love. Instead, resolve to ‘This time, I will praise the Lord.’
  • Leah saw what we need to see: all the striving in the world for love and acceptance won’t fulfil us–only God can do that. When we change our focus from the people we are trying to please, to the God we should please, He fills us with joy and peace that can’t be gained elsewhere.
  • Two parts to hearing God – God listening to us and us listening to God.
  • If you’re struggling with hearing God, spend time worshipping God. Praise Him and thanking Him.

Second Principle: Our identity (how we see ourselves) is important to God.

  • This story shows it is important to find our value and security in God.
  • Since a husband can easily divorce a wife if she doesn’t produce sons (there’s a law in Deuteronomy 21:15-17 about children from two wives, one wife being unloved), God sees Leah’s situation and affirms her status as Jacob’s wife by enabling her to have sons.
  • After the birth of Leah’s fourth son, she realises she is loved by God. She changes her heart attitude, turns her attention to God and praises Him. It’s only when her focus changes from her lack to God’s favour and abundance, that she finds true joy.
  • Once we find value and security in God, instead of our accomplishments, looks, strengths, relatives, etc., it opens the pathway to hearing God more easily.
  • I don’t know that Rachel ever truly got this principle. She is loved by her husband, so she doesn’t feel the need to look for fulfilment from God. She would feel valued already because she’s loved. Again, that value is based on what she can do, what service she can offer. But, if she can’t fulfil the one thing that she’s supposed to be able to do, where does that leave her? Suddenly it doesn’t matter that she is the one Jacob loves, because she’s no longer the one with an affirmed value. She’s jealous out of insecurity. She yells at Jacob out of insecurity. She’s spent her life putting her value in the eyes of man, and now she’s losing value because, while she’s the pretty one, she can’t produce a son. Childlessness was a curse. Rachel would have felt forgotten and unseen by God.
  • The women were all voiceless and powerless.
  • Leah was a pawn in her father’s scheming. She was the girl nobody wanted. Leah isn’t wanted by her husband – he disregards her. She isn’t wanted by her father – he discards her. And she isn’t wanted by her sister – she displaces her. Leah is truly ‘the woman that nobody wants’.
  • Leah’s desperate for love. When man doesn’t value her, her father cares for her. God wants her to see her value through His eyes, not her husband’s. It is not what you prove you can do. Value not based in productivity or what you can do. It is through who you are.
  • I read a quote during the week: Everyone in the world is on a search for something—or someone—to make them whole again. Jacob is looking for his ‘one, true love,’ and he thinks Rachel fits the bill. (Rachel and Leah, are on their own search.) Jacob’s experience is our experience: we reach out to take hold of the ‘Rachel’ that is going to make everything right…but in the morning we wake up and it’s only ‘Leah’. Every time we start a new job, or get into a new relationship, we think, ‘This is it! Finally my life will be right. This is my Rachel.’
  • Times when we don’t see our worth in God’s eyes, we can try to gain approval through people’s opinions or external performances, creating a vicious cycle of people pleasing and perfection.
  • No matter how we feel or our reality, God loves us and hears us despite our emotional baggage. God always has a redemptive purpose for our life. Often the thing we struggle with most will be the very thing that God uses to help others.
  • God sees. God hears. And God’s timing is always perfect.
  • We are accepted. Validated. Valued. Important. Loved by God.
  • Important to have inner healing ministry.
  • We are made to yearn for belonging and completion.

Third Principle: God plans, and works, generationally.

  • I love how this passage signifies hope to all. These children, fathered by a liar, manipulator, cheat, deceiver, and mothers that were bitter and twisted and schemed, grew up to fulfill the promise God gave to Abraham in Genesis 22:17 about his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. This is an example of divine grace not human merit.
  • Remember God’s goodness. Focus on His character.
  • The sibling competition was so ingrained in this family that it continued down the family line.
  • Leah’s unfulfilled desire for love and Rachel’s of children is what the other craves. Their relationship is a reflection of their father and his brother.
  • You can’t run from your issues. You need to face them and deal with them, otherwise, it permeates your whole life. Jacob – competition, jealousy, deceit, treachery, all followed him.
  • If you don’t deal with your sin, your descendants will be stricken with it.
  • I love how when Leah turned her focus to God, God blessed her extravagantly, beyond her wildest imagination. She was the one whose generational line would give birth to Jesus. She went from a nobody to a somebody.
  • Rachel played a role generationally in her son Joseph, who had a crucial role in the survival and flourishing of the Israelites in Egypt.
  • God loves those who are unloved and unwanted. He pours his grace into the lives of the outcasts and the despised. He is the Father to the fatherless, the husband to the widow, and the protector of the vulnerable. He exalts the humble, feeds the hungry, and gives strength to the weak.
  • This story is a messy, complicated, and beautiful story from Scripture. This story encompasses God’s ability to redeem broken heartedness, meet us in our imperfections, show up in our dysfunctional families, and fulfil the delayed dreams in our hearts. If you’re feeling the pain of a delayed dream or pain in your family relationships, allow God to speak to you through her story.
  • Leah didn’t get to see the full blessing in her generation. Could it be that God is blessing you with great blessings that will only be fully realised and appreciated by the next generation? Are you willing to believe and trust in God, His love, and His willingness to care and provide for you?

Summary:

  1. A key to hearing God is to begin with praise and thanksgiving.
  2. Our identity (how we see ourselves) is important to God.
  3. God plans, and works, generationally.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “God, which person in this story am I like the most? “
  • “God, why is that?”
  • “Father God, how would you like me to respond to this?”

Time Stamps:

[2:10] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[5:22] – Background to the story of Leah.

[9:51] – First Principle: A key to hearing God is to begin with praise and thanksgiving.

[14:31] – Second Principle: Our identity (how we see ourselves) is important to God.

[20:18] – Third Principle: God plans, and works, generationally.

[23:41] – Recap the principles.

[24:09] – Prophetic activation.

[25:07] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[26:47] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

  • Prayer Ministry / Inner Healing through various places. Contact your local church or ministries like Bethel Sozo, Elijah House, Ellel Ministries, Heart Revive (Portico Church – online), Restore (Stairway SASH), Australian Inner Healing Network, Orbis Ministries, or Restoring the Foundations.
  • Episode 59 (Lazarus): https://garyandjane.co/hearing-god-when-things-appear-dead/
  • Website: https://garyandjane.co

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Proverbs 13:12
  • Genesis 29-31
  • Psalm 100:4
  • Deuteronomy 21:15-17
  • Genesis 22:17

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.
Episode 59: Hearing God when things appear dead.

Episode 59: Hearing God when things appear dead.

Episode Description:

Have you ever felt disappointed with God? That He could have prevented someone from dying? That He didn’t come through on something you were desperately longing for?

How do you respond when God is silent? When it appears that you can’t hear God?

Join us in this latest episode of the ‘Hearing God’ Podcast as we look at these issues and unpack how Lazarus in the Bible heard God.

Episode Notes:

Background to Lazarus:

  • We read about Lazarus and his sisters Mary & Martha in John 11:1-45 and briefly at the beginning of John 12. The other Gospels don’t mention this story.
  • A different Lazarus is mentioned in Luke 16:19-31 – a story about a rich man.
  • Lazarus is sick, and his sisters send word to Jesus to hurry and come and heal him. They live in Bethany, a couple of miles from Jerusalem.
  • When Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, he decides to stay two more days where he is. Verse 5-6: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days”. The Message version says, “but oddly, he stayed on two more days.” Apparently, this was to reveal the glory of God.
  • By the time Jesus gets near to them, Lazarus is well and truly dead, having been in the tomb for four days.
  • Both Mary & Matha accuse Jesus of not caring. If he had been here, Lazarus would not have died. They act and speak out of grief, anger, disappointment, and bitterness.
  • Jesus calls out to Lazarus, “Lazarus, come out”.
  • Lazarus stumbles out of the tomb, wrapped in grave clothes/bandages.

First Principle: Jesus speaks personally to us.

  • In verse 43, Jesus calls out to Lazarus by name.
  • Jesus’ voice set Lazarus free. His voice sets us free.
  • God is most interested in and values intimacy and relationship.
  • Earlier, it says Jesus loved them. He cares intimately for us. He knows everything about us. He will speak personally and intimately to us about things concerning us.
  • Interestingly, Lazarus’ name means “God has helped”
  • God calls us from that which imprisons us to that which brings us freedom. Is there something today that has imprisoned you?
  • God calls us from our past to our future.
  • John 10:3-4 – my sheep hear my voice and know my voice, follow me.
  • How do we respond when God is silent?
    • Don’t despair when there is a lack of immediate action.
    • God’s timing is perfect. Sometimes, a bigger picture is at play.
    • Never give up. Develop persistence and faith.
    • Is God trying to speak to us, but we are unaware of how He is speaking to us?
    • It may not be the outcome we are looking for.
  • Episodes 4 & 16 – the different ways God can speak to us.
  • Episode 11 – when I can’t hear God.
  • Episode 13 – Recognising how God speaks.
  • Episode 21 – Hearing God when God is silent.

Second Principle: Jesus understands our emotions.

  • Verse 35 – Jesus wept. (shortest verse in the Bible)
  • He understands our emotions, feelings, and thoughts. He wants to break through into our world and reveal Himself to us in the way we best understand.
  • Don’t play the blame game with God. If… you did this, then that wouldn’t have happened.
  • Mary and Martha both blamed Jesus for Lazarus’s death. If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died. How often have we become angry at God? Thankfully, God can take our anger, so it is better to express it to Him as He already knows. Get it out. Clear the air.
  • If we want to truly hear God, be open to what He will say. Don’t blame. Don’t ask ‘why’ questions. Questions and faith go hand in hand.

Third Principle: There is always hope with God.

  • God is never late. Death is not final. This time, Jesus’s delay was driven by love and the desire to glorify God.
  • Learn persistence. Build faith.
  • Our dreams may look dead. There is still hope.
  • We may have forgotten our dreams, but God hasn’t.

Summary:

  1. Jesus speaks personally to us.
  2. Jesus understands our emotions.
  3. There is always hope with God.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “God, what area of my life appears dead in which I need to hear Your voice and realise Your thoughts?”
  • “Father God, what do You want to show me about this?”

Time Stamps:

[0:39] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[3:34] – Background to the story of Lazarus.

[11:17] – First Principle: Jesus speaks personally to us.

[19:44] – Second Principle: Jesus understands our emotions.

[22:25] – Third Principle: There is always hope with God.

[25:27] – Recap the principles.

[25:51] – Prophetic activation.

[26:50] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[29:31] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • John 11:1-45
  • John 12:1
  • Luke 16:19-31
  • John 10:3-4
  • Lamentations 3:22-23

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Episode 58: Hearing God requires change or action.

Episode 58: Hearing God requires change or action.

Episode Description:

Nehemiah in the Bible is an excellent book for looking at how to prepare to hear God and how to pray when there is no easy solution to our problem. Nehemiah is a fantastic example of knowing the Word of God and the character of God. This meant he could quickly determine if he had heard God correctly. Join us in this latest episode of the ‘Hearing God’ Podcast for encouragement as we look at these issues and unpack how Nehemiah in the Bible heard God.

Episode Notes:

Background to Nehemiah:

  • Nehemiah was alive around the time of Ezra, Esther, Jeremiah, and Daniel.
  • In 587 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar and his army of Babylonians attacked the Jews, ransacked and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, forced the Jews from their land in Judah and took them back to Babylon.
  • They suffered for 70 years under aggressive rule.
  • The Persians then defeated the Babylonians, and the Jewish exiles in Babylon had a choice to return to Judah. 50,000 returned at this time. The second group that later returned included Ezra, who helped re-establish the religious system and rebuild the Temple.
  • Nehemiah remained in Babylon and was cupbearer to the King. It was a high position.
  • A brother came and told him about the plight of the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem. They had not only had their Temple and wall around the city destroyed but were aimless; their identity, lifestyle, culture, values and sense of community had all been destroyed. This was a people group with no hope. No peace. No sense of safety. Full of shame and disgrace.
  • An intact Wall around the city would represent physical and spiritual protection for security, defining the community and identity as no longer defenceless.
  • Nehemiah fasts and prays for 4-5 months, chats with the King, and is released to go and coordinate the rebuilding of the wall (1,000 miles away in a different country).
  • Nehemiah constantly met oppression while rebuilding the wall. Opposition came mainly from Sanballat, the Horonite, Tobiah, the Ammonite official, and Geshem, the Arab. He faced ridicule, intimidation, discouragement, fear, distraction. In restoration and renewal, we can apply Nehemiah’s principle of first praying and then asking, “What’s my part in this? What part am I willing to play to achieve the desired result?”
  • Nehemiah surveyed and assessed the wall. He had the Israelites rebuild the wall outside their own house. He posted guards at exposed points, and those rebuilding had a trowel in one hand and a weapon in the other, ready to fight.
  • The wall was rebuilt in a miraculous time of 52 days – evidence that God had helped them.
  • Nehemiah models:
    • How to pray when there is no easy solution to our problem
    • How to plan, set goals & achieve them when facing opposition
    • Vision casting
    • How to handle discouragement in both ourselves and others
    • How to motivate others when there is deteriorating morale
    • How to respond to those making false accusations against us
    • How to continue our job while fending off the enemy
    • How to not abuse privileges and success
    • How to manage anger

First Principle: Hearing God requires action.

  • At the end of chapter 1, Nehemiah needed courage to ask King Xerxes if he could go home to Jerusalem to be part of the solution.
  • Nehemiah’s courage to be angry about the Israelite’s brokenness compelled him into action.
  • His anger didn’t paralyse him.
  • St Augustine of Hippo, one of the early Church Fathers, said that hope has two daughters – anger and courage. Anger at the way things are, and courage to ensure they don’t stay that way.
  • Nehemiah as cup bearer would have had soft hands, plush surroundings, and walked daily on red carpet. To fulfil this crazy, wild, gigantic (dare I say) dream meant he had calloused hands, daily torture and hard labour, stumbling over rubble and rocks in an insignificant and politically unstable role. The opposition would have been overwhelming. Surely, he questioned his sanity and commitment. I wonder if he asked, “Did I hear you right, God?”
  • When Nehemiah first heard about the problem in Jerusalem, his first response was to pray. Chapter 1:5-10 we see how he fasted and prayed for about 4-5 months. Not a quick process. When you can’t feel, see or hear God, pray. Fast. Wait. Request God’s eyes and ears to show you what He sees and hears.
  • Then, whenever there was an ‘issue’ or opposition, he prayed. In chapter 2:4, he says a quick prayer before answering King Artaxerxes about why he is sad.
  • In chapter 4:4-5 he prays about the insults being thrown at God’s people. And then again in verse 9 when enemies conspired to attack. Chapters 5 & 6 also include numerous references to Nehemiah praying, asking God to remember him and to strengthen his hand and reminding God about those who wanted to harm him.
  • Nehemiah also takes action and is prepared when the King asks what he requires. He had fasted and prayed for 4-5 months. Nehemiah put together a response that clarified and defined what he felt and needed regarding protection for travel, provisions to build, and time required.

Second Principle: Reading the Bible helps to hear God.

  • Nehemiah often mentions the ‘Ancient Manuscript’. He knew the ‘Bible’ He knew the Scriptures. He knew who God was in those Scriptures, the promises, and how he could trust God.
  • He could trust God because he knew Him from the Scriptures. 2:12 says, “What my God had put in my heart to do”. He could trust that what he was feeling and thinking was of God because it lined up with the character of God.
  • Nehemiah knew that our God was a God of justice, so when the officials and nobles were trying to swindle people and charge interest and were not prepared to help rebuild the wall, he confronted them and ordered them to promise to return the money. Nehemiah then did a prophetic act and shook out his robe, meaning in the same way God would shake out of their house and possessions anyone who didn’t abide by the promise.
  • In chapter 6:9-12, Nehemiah had to capture his thoughts and look at what God had said through his Word. When scared or faced with opposition, first capture your thoughts. Are your thoughts of God?

Third Principle: Ask the right questions.

  • It can be hard to hear God when asking, “Why did this happen?”, or, “Why God?”
  • Instead, ask, “God, what do You want my response to be?” or “God, how can I glorify You at the moment?”
  • Nehemiah was distraught about the wall and the condition of the Israelites. He waited on God with fasting and prayer. He asked God to show Him what to do and say. He didn’t demand a quick fix. He was prepared to be part of the answer.
  • A challenge to us all: “Lord, I’m available to be used how you see fit.”
  • Is there something today you can see that honours God but needs completion?
  • A great question to ponder is: What upsets you the most? (divine burden, injustice, etc) This will then become the driving force to make a difference in the lives of others.
  • Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Nehemiah 8:10

Summary:

  1. Hearing God requires action.
  2. Reading the Bible helps to hear God.
  3. Ask the right questions.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “Lord, can You please show me or highlight how I can spend more time reading Your Word and memorizing Scripture?”

Time Stamps:

[0:36] – Gary & Jane share briefly how they have heard God this week.

[4:42] – Background to the story of Nehemiah.

[8:58] – First Principle: Hearing God requires action.

[15:07] – Second Principle: Reading the Bible helps to hear God.

[18:04] – Third Principle: Ask the right questions.

[20:17] – Recap the principles.

[20:46] – Prophetic activation.

[21:37] – Gary & Jane both share a prophetic word for a listener.

[23:44] – Gary prays for you.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

Bible Verses Mentioned:

  • Nehemiah, especially chapters 1:5-10; 2:4,12; 4:4-5,9; 5; 6:9-12;

Connect with Gary & Jane:

Support the show:

  • Please share this podcast with someone who would value hearing from God.
  • Follow and leave a rating + review on your favourite podcast listening app.
  • If God is leading your heart to donate or support the show in any way, please visit https://buymeacoffee/garyandjanM Thank you so much.