It happened just as I was waking up. An audible voice inside my head clearly said, “Follow the last instruction”.
I wasn’t quite fully awake, and I wondered if I was still dreaming, still dozing as I listened to the still, small voice. Follow the last instruction? What did that mean? It made absolutely no sense because I didn’t even know what the first instruction was let alone the last!
I didn’t tell anyone about hearing the audible voice for a few days as I needed some answers. So, I prayed about it and the thought that kept coming up was to talk to my husband about it. So, I did. “Follow the last instruction? Well, what does that mean?” he said. “I don’t know” I responded. He was quiet for a moment. “Well, the only thing I can think of is this; what was the last instruction Jesus gave to His disciples?” Straight away I answered, “Of course! The Great Commission, go out into all the world and make disciples.”
God knew I had been wrestling with my fears, doubts and worries about all this writing business and it had sent me a little wobbly on His potter’s wheel. The “what ifs” were getting louder in my head and His voice was centring me again, getting me to focus on the promise and not on my circumstances. He was letting me know that I was right where I was supposed to be, and for the reshaping and the reforming to continue, I needed to hear from Him. Follow the last instruction? Was God giving me a commission, a mandate to keep going, to keep showing up and He will use my words to go and make disciples?
The Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20, ‘Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
This scripture was the last instruction Jesus gave to His disciples, but the key line in this verse is, ‘Then Jesus came close to them and said.’ Jesus wasn’t far away, He came alongside, He was beside the disciples when He gave them the last instruction. What about you, dear friend? Are you close enough to Jesus so you can hear His instructions? Do you believe that you can hear from God?
Bill Johnson believes that hearing from God is already in our design. We are not more special than someone else when say we hear from God, we’ve just postured and positioned ourselves to listen. God has designed for us all to listen to His voice and it comes in a variety of different ways. As Johnson says, “The enemy attempts to always lead us into unbelief because, in unbelief, we stand in defiance to His [God’s] nature and perfect faithfulness.” If we continue to lean in with anticipation of hearing God’s voice. If we choose to stay close to Him, then we’ll follow the last instruction He gave to us.
The enemy knows he needs to create distance between us and God so we can’t hear God’s voice. He fills our thoughts with fear and doubts that keep us running away from God instead of to Him. The great prophet, Elijah hid in a cave out of fear for his life in 1 Kings 19, but God found him and told him to stand on the mountainside in His presence. The voice of God wasn’t in the wind or the earthquake, or in the fire, it was in the breeze. ‘And through this breeze, a gentle, quiet voice entered into Elijah’s ears.’
How close are you to God right now? Close enough to hear His voice in the breeze? Don’t let fear keep you in the cave, take a walk up the mountainside like Elijah, and stand in God’s presence because He wants to speak to you. He wants to help you to follow the last instruction as you move toward your calling. Remember, God designed you to hear from Him, so get real close to Him and let Him know that you’re ready to listen.
Wendy xo
How does God communicate to you? Is it an audible voice, a song, or something in His creation?
I pray today, that you will spend some quality time with God and allow His presence to fill you with His peace. I pray that the doubts, worries and fears you have felt will settle down as you listen to His still, small voice. Keep trusting Him for the next step along your journey.
Thanks for reminding us how vital it is to stay close to God as we write, Wendy, and to listen to that still, small voice, spurring us on. As to how God communicates with me, I keep my bible open beside my laptop and read a portion each day, but I also love listening for God’s voice speaking directly to me because what God says then is so right for that moment and so encouraging. God’s so amazing though and can speak in all sorts of ways.
Oh yes, Jo-Anne! God’s Word is so full of wisdom and plays such an important role in the process of writing. Love it! x
Thank you for your encouraging words Wendy. I’ve been with Jesus since 2010 and I was very blessed to be placed amidst new friends, some of whom knew His voice. So it was a natural and unconscious step to recognise His voice and see visions and smell beautiful scents. I soon came to realise that the well of creativity I always knew was there but could not access was now available to me.
One night during a prayer and worship meeting He said to me “I will answer your question”. I said to Him I didn’t have any questions. He responded “I will give you the question”.
God bless you all.
That was a really encouraging devotional, Wendy!
God certainly communicates in different ways but as you say, we need to stay close to Him. Thanks for sharing x
Thank you so much, Wendy.
You’re so welcome, Susan.
Thank you, Wendy. I read that several times. It’s a good reminder, gently offered, and advice that’s practical enough to act on.