One of my favorite encounters with God recorded in the Bible is in 1 Samuel 3. God calls out to a young Samuel, but he didn’t realize that it was God calling him.
…Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him…
I strive to have children (and adults) know Jesus and know His voice, just like Samuel learned to recognize when God was speaking to him.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve heard respected church leaders say that you cannot know the will of God. I was taken back by this. Especially if a pastor says that you cannot know God’s will, that you can’t hear and know God’s voice. How can they then say they sense God directing the church in a certain direction, if they admit that they can’t discern God’s will in their own life?
Over the last week, I’ve had people comment on my status. Yes, I left my position as Pastor of Children & Youth in my former church at the end of last summer. I knew that my season of ministry was over there, God was telling me to move on.
At the time, I said I was “walking in the wilderness”. I wasn’t sure where I was headed. God allowed me to serve leading the Awana large group time for 5th & 6th graders in one church as we sought out where God was leading. We were drawn to one church.
While some would call these coincidences, I believe that it was God leading me to this church and on this particular path.
I approached the Awana commander at that church and told him that if we began to attend, that he would need to find a place for me. He told me that he had a place for me. His director of T&T 3rd & 4th grade boys had just announced he was moving.
Then, I contacted the people leading their Sunday morning children’s programs. I asked to sit in on a class to see how things ran. Afterward, they asked if I was interested in teaching and I told them to “pencil me in”. I then said that I’d be willing to teach every Sunday. Later they told me that I was an answer to prayer. They had been praying for someone to take this position because the couple who had been teaching were stepping down and I’ll begin to teach in a few weeks.
I believe that God led us to that church in His time to fill positions that He knew would be open, but we did not. So this is where I will be serving Him until He opens another door.
Yes, I believe that God still speaks and guides people today. When He speaks, it should line up with Scripture. There are some who say “God told them” or “God is leading them” to justify their actions. After all, who can argue against God? Yes, some will abuse this for their own purposes. When you hear someone say that God told them, see if it lines up with Scripture.
Is God leading your life? Are you following the path He has laid before you? Do you believe that God still speaks and guides people today?
