How God Speaks (to Marnie Pohlmann)

God has spoken to me since I was a child. From the time He sat with me at a bonfire at Bible Camp to the times I felt His arms around me when evil came to call in the dark night, I have known His presence.

Perhaps it is the untainted trust of childhood or the smallness of a child’s world that makes believing in God and hearing Him so much easier than it is as an adult. Adults are surrounded by such differing ideas, various values, and a multitude of morals. The doubts and questions that must be answered to be firm in one’s own beliefs are not at all like the simple faith of a child.

As much as I continue to know God’s presence in my life, I’m not as good at simply enjoying His company and conversing with Him, as I once was. Yet God does still speak to me about faith, life, and, maybe, especially about writing.

I have continued to learn how God speaks to me, as well as others, in today’s noise-infused world in which we must “adult” whether we want to or not. I am not always paying attention or listening, though. And sometimes I have “selective hearing” where I choose what parts of God’s message I want to hear and what parts I will ignore. Trust me, though, when I tell you that selective hearing never bodes well for me.

So how does God speak to me?

First and foremost, God speaks to me through His Word. Reading Scripture makes God’s voice audible. And yet the words on the surface of the page don’t always mean what we might think they mean. Studying Scripture and the meaning behind the words is what truly makes God’s voice loud and clear. Unmistakable. Compelling.

For example, when questioning whether I could write, whether I should write, and even more so, what I could/should write, God spoke to me through Psalm 26, specifically verse 7.

“⁶ I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:

⁷ That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

⁸ Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.” (KJV)

Secondly, I hear God’s voice when being taught, whether by reading or listening to wise Christians expound on God’s Word, God’s character, and God’s actions.

One such time was when I was asked to help a leader with a skit at a women’s meeting. If I remember correctly, the skit was about how God prompted a lady to consider another’s needs and she said, “I will pray for that need.” Now, we all know prayer is important, but sometimes God wants us to do more than pray, perhaps do something more practical and earthly. In time the lady dies and meets God in Heaven, where He hands her a crown decorated with jewels which He explains were set in place as a reward for her actions on earth. The lady is pleased, but when noticing more jewels on a table, she asks God, “What are those jewels for?” He answers, “Oh, those were for your crown, too, but you did not take advantage of the opportunities when I prompted you.”

What I learned through that skit was when God is prompting me to write something, whether or not I think it is of any value or will make it out of my journal for others to read, I need to write. I am called to write. I am responsible to act, and God will use my writing as He pleases. Just thinking about it is not enough when God prompts me to write. (Yes, dear hubby and friends, I hear what your facial expressions are saying!)

Linked to that experience was a the time I was teaching a Sunday School class of teenagers about gifts and talents. One question a musically talented girl asked was, “If I don’t use the talent that God gifted me with, or if I don’t use it in the way God asks me to, will I lose it?” The ‘use it or lose it’ fear

that we guilt ourselves with made me stop and consider. At the time I had decided I would write anything but Christian content, and certainly not share anything of my own life. The girl’s question made me realize that while I didn’t think God would stop me from writing, not using His gift to me in the way He asked would lessen jewels set aside for my crown. Scripture says we will lay our crowns at Christ’s feet, and I would like my gift to Him to be worthy of Him, not crafted by my own feeble works.

Perhaps the way God speaks to me most often is through my own writing. As I write in my journal or prepare an article to share, I hear God teaching me, helping me to make sense of my thoughts and solidify my beliefs. Even as I go back to read some of my own blog posts of the past couple years, I am often amazed at words I wrote and realize a new depth of God’s character or recognize how He has again proven another truth in recent days.

God has also used family and friends, dreams, and circumstances to talk to me. And like the Bereans of Bible times, I must be careful to discern these messages in the light of Scripture to determine whether I am truly hearing God’s voice and not simply my own wants and desires. I continue to learn to recognize my Shepherd’s voice. I continue to listen to His message, and ultimately to respond with action.

Does God speak to you in these ways as well?

     What does God speak to you about?

          How well do you listen to God’s message or prompting?               What is your response when you hear God's voice?

*photos courtesy of www.Pixabay.com CCO license

Marnie Pohlmann strives to listen and act on God's writing prompts while working and ministering in northern BC. Read more about God's presence in Marnie's life at her blog, Phosphorescent.

IN TIME OF NEED Bryan Norford

Ann and I felt a call of God into full time ministry which eventually culminated in pastoring churches in Burnaby, British Columbia. But to do that, we also felt the need to take some full time training, and I attended Regent College in Vancouver for over two years to achieve a Master of Divinity degree. My wife, and life’s closest companion, Ann, provided indispensable support and assistance.

Our plans were to finance ourselves for at least two years by selling our home, but the house was slow selling. We needed a temporary home in Vancouver, and found a low rental apartment in False Creek Close to kindergarten. Our youngest daughter, Alexandra, was four years old. It wasn’t long before we ran short of the cash we had on hand.

God provided for us in two surprising ways. One of the instructors at the Regent College was moving out of a house he had rented for some time and suggested we might rent it. It was close to the new school Alexandra was ready to attend. The owners were Christians and rented it to us for a generously low figure. Then, Ann was led to a buyer in Vancouver for our house on the prairies, who bought it privately, sight unseen, just as our funds dried up.

The equity we obtained from the house sale enabled us to invest in guaranteed investment certificates for two years. The timing of that investment was remarkable. Interest rates in 1980 had climbed to record highs, mortgage rates reaching 20% and higher. We received interest of over 16%. Compare that to today’s 2%!

The very next day after making that investment, interest rates began a fast free fall to much lower levels; we had received a peak yield from our investment. With money Ann was able to make by running her own small secretarial business and over $600 per month return on our investment, we had sufficient funds to see us through our time at college. God provided for us for our entire period of financial need.

Wouldn’t we all like to forecast markets like that? A risky business for us, but God used His foreknowledge to His advantage and our need. And we still had our capital to invest in a home once I was working again—this time in full-time ministry.

In common with other InScriber stories to date, and numerous other great and small interventions in our life, we constantly gather further proof of God’s continued grace and care throughout life. If we can trust Him here, we can trust Him for eternity. What a blessed hope.

Bryan Norford

 

Can I Capture All the Balloons? - Janis Cox

A friend once told me that she could see me with thousands of coloured balloons around my head and how in awe I wanted each one of them.

This vision my friend had is holding true again and again. There are so many things I like to do. There are so many people I want to meet. I can’t keep still because I think of another thing to do.

I am so thankful that I have learned to start each day in quiet refection, study and prayer. As I talk to Jesus and listen, I learn that it doesn’t matter what I do or try He will be with me. What a freeing thought.

It’s been twelve years since my life changed drastically with my new found faith. Having grown up knowing God, I had never turned my back on Him. But I had put Him aside and used the theory “use only when necessary”. And I had never really understood Who Jesus and the Holy Spirit were.

After much questioning, and wrangling with God Jesus revealed Himself to me.

The world came on fire. There was new meaning in my life. And then I wanted to try everything.

Writing was one of those balloons. God led me to start writing in a journal – all my thoughts, questions and answers from Him. Then a writers’ conference appeared – close by. And soon I started writing on a regular basis.

Last year I published my first book – a children’s book called Tadeo Turtle. It was totally inspired by God.

Another balloon was art. I began to paint in watercolour. I took courses, I practiced, and God inspired me.

Another balloon was prayer. Prayer became more and more important until I finally heard God say to start a blog called Under the Cover of Prayer.

So I’m having a great time. Some days I think I won’t get anything or everything accomplished.

But if I give God His time, He increases mine. (Tweet this)

How about you? What are you doing? Are you enjoying every minute of this life? Do you give God some of that time?

Janis, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement. A writer since 2003, Janis co-ordinates a group blog called Under the Cover of Prayer. She is also a contributor to a group blog called Family and Faith Matters.

Janis is the author of the award winning children’s book, Tadeo Turtle, published by Word Alive Press. She is the author and watercolour illustrator. For more information visit Janis on her website He Cares for You. She is a member of The Word Guild and Inscribe Writers Fellowship.