As to the latter, the gift of discernment will help you. But Bible says that every mature Christian who is feeding off the meat or the deeper revelations from the Word of God, has discernment and can exercise it to understand which things are of God, and which not. Now, we have the Word, which is our sure measuring yard. The Spirit and the Word agree. If anything goes against the Word of God, it is not of God. Also, if anything goes against the heart and nature of God, it is not of Him.
Now, there are things written in the Word, which make it easy to understand where God is in. But if we need to make personal decisions, then the Word does not tell you who is the right person to marry and such, or which business decision to pass, and with whom to form associations. Prophet Samuel was commissioned by God to pick up the new King and anoint him. Even when he was a prophet, also he looked immediately at the natural, the tall and the handsome caught his eye. But the Lord was not in it. He looks at the heart, past the natural. Finally he had exhausted all the options, and God did not say His Yes to any of them.
Prophet Samuel had to ask the father of the sons, whether he had any more sons. And God's choice was the one who was not even deemed worthy to be displayed. When men overlook you, then God knows exactly where you are. Your election does not hang from men, but from God. He can reach the pit of invisibility and place you to the position of the rulers. He did so to Joseph. Overnight, his fate changed. From pit to palace.
Romans 8 tells us how the sons of God are led.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
Now, although God may choose to use several ways to communicate His ways to man, and His number one way is His written Word, the inner witness is His primary way how He chooses to guide and lead us in our personal walk, as to our personal decisions.
Inner witness is inner knowing, which happens as our born again spirit is in contact with the Spirit of God, who illuminates our spirit man and gives us the knowings and understanding. Deep within we always know which way is right. We need to learn to stay still and silence our mind, and then we can sense and hear with our inner hearing, the voice of our heart and by that I do not mean the voice of our emotions, but the heart in its Biblical context, where it speaks about the centre of our being, about our spirit man. We are created in the image of God - we are the spirit, we have the soul with its mind, emotions and will, and we live in the earth suit or our body. God is a Spirit, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Think about it for a moment. Can you grasp it? The same Spirit who dwells within God, who created all the universe and everything within it, dwells in you! Our task is so much easier, than in the days of prophet Samuel. For we can all prophesy. We can all access the prophetic Spirit of God who has all the knowledge and understanding. Who knows everything about the future and what it will bring. We can see by means of discernment beyond the facade, and discern between right and wrong. Do not mistake me now here - we have been called to eat out of the Tree of Life, who is Jesus, alone! But, as we live in a fallen world, there are plenty of situations where we need to know which way to take, as another way may pose a danger for us. We love all men, but every man is not benevolent, and out to do good. There are cheats and there are liars. Again, Holy Spirit helps us see into the hearts of men, and navigate safely, avoiding the reefs and the rocks. He will warn us of a danger ahead. And if we pay heed to His warning, He will lead us into a safe harbour. True, God in His wisdom turns everything, even bad which happens in our life, to serve a good purpose. But He would much rather spare us from such experience. Yes, nasty people can be used to chisel us, and help make us more God-like. But, it is not really God's best that you would be surrounded only by such. Now, when with a true missionary spirit then we can win the darkness with the light shining through us. And there are always such men who do not always have our best in mind around us, but we do not need to let them be a part of our inner circle. This is reserved for the ones who truly love, and care and cheer us on and lift us higher.
As to business decisions, any kind of business is mainly run on trust. But we can see into the hearts of men and discern who are the trustworthy ones. For although there are occasions when Holy Spirit may tell us to trust also the not thus far so trustworthy ones, the way He told so to David Wilkerson, who gave the gang leaders who had gathered to his NYC meeting, a task to take up the offering, and used it then to soften and turn their hearts, there are also different occasions where we need to apply wisdom, which will help keep us from detrimental results. It is wise to trust the trustworthy men, and do business with them.
And in ministering to people, the gift of discernment will help us discern the root of a sickness, or a problem and adopt the necessary path of action to help the person up and on the go.
You can hear the voice of God. But the noise in our soul, can cloud our mind. The emotions may cloud our vision and clog our ears. As the voice of the negative may speak louder. Remember Elijah. He was a mighty prophet, and won his greatest victory. But at the threat of Jezebel, immediately, fear and depression and discouragement set in, and then it was hard even for him to hear God. And he did what he could, he ran. In the opposite direction. All the way to the cave. Cave symbolises the place of isolation, where his distraught and frightened soul could finally calm down, after his forty day run for his life. And then he could hear the voice of God alone. He was not in the whirlwind or the earthquake or the fire, but in a still small voice.
You have thanks to Jesus, more than Elijah ever had. Holy Spirit had not yet come, the spirit of the man was not made alive. The measure of the Spirit rested in these days upon the people chosen by God into a particular office, to mediate His will and ways to His people. But you can hear Him by yourself today. You do not have to be afraid to approach Him, Jesus made the way for you to go right to the Throne of the Father, and present your petitions to Him. Use your right! Talk to Holy Spirit, and learn to recognise and hear and heed to His voice. You can be saved from many a disastrous situation ahead, you can make the right partnership decisions, and have a good and blessed life not just in Heaven, but here on the earth. God bless you
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