HEAR YE! FORGIVEN
Hear Ye! Forgiven? Hmmm. Here we go again!
Before delving into the issue of forgiveness, there is something worth looking into concerning hearing from above. We’ve heard several people saying that they hear from God from time to time. Is it possible to hear from God? Yes it is. It should be noted that hearing from God should not be confused with psychological disorder i.e. hearing some voice in one’s head like a lunatic, a sociopath or a psychopath. It takes a while to get used to hearing the voice of God. The period of time varies from person to person. But it takes a while to be able to discern His voice and get used to it. Keep in mind, Rome is not built in a day.
Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:9-10 New King James Version – NKJV)
Our chances and frequency of hearing from Him is greatly enhanced as we spend time in His presence praying, singing songs of praise and worship, fasting. There are so many voices we have got accustomed to over the years: the voice of our imaginations, the voice of temptations, the voice of the various media that bombard our senses daily. To discern and hear the Lord’s voice in the midst of all these other voices is like putting on radio with so many stations readily available. To hear from His end involves tuning in to God’s frequency. As we spend more time in His presence, His voice will begin to come through gradually. As said, Rome is not built in a day. In 1 Samuel 3:1-21, we discovered that it took young Samuel (who was later established as a prophet to be tremendously reckoned with) several attempts before a clear communication line could be established between him and the Lord. Eli (who was the prophet then) knew better than dismiss Samuel’s spiritual experience as the tale of a neurotic / disillusioned person. Keep in mind, “the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:1) continually before his experience in 1 Samuel 3:2-11,19-21 took place. Samuel not only grew physically, he also matured spiritually in the Lord’s presence. That does not imply that we have to be confined to a religious sanctuary 24 hours a day. After all “you are the temple of God” and “the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV). Being in the right / conducive spiritual environment enables our spirit to be in tune to receive from His end whatever He wants to pass on to you.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me (John 16:13-15 New Living Translation - NLT)
It may take a while for us to be able to discern His voice. First, we must build a relationship with him. The more time we spend reading the scriptures, the better our chances are improved. He may speak to us through the pages of the scriptures, or by laying words upon our hearts. Some times, through words of prophesy. When I was a young believer, I usually hear matured believers talk about hearing from God. How much I longed to be able to hear from Him too back then! I always desire it. The scripture says “But earnestly desire the best gifts.” (I Corinthians 12:31 NKJV) “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, .......” (I Corinthians 14:1 NKJV) Genuine desire must be seen by God in order to hear from Him. After all, what are the odds that He’ll cast His pearl before swine? (Matthew 7:6) Also, what are the odds that the Lord will give me spiritual gifts that He knows that I will not use for His glory? What are the odds that the Lord will endow me with spiritual gifts that He knows that I will use for vain purposes?
When we wait upon the Lord in prayer, please give some time for His voice to come through. Just because you’ve been praying to God about an issue and you do not seem to hear anything from His end is no reason to entertain doubt. He responds in His own way, and at His own time. With the communication line open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, He can drop a line or two regardless of where you find yourself (when you least expect it), and not necessarily when you are on your knees (when you most likely expect it). Be open. Avoid ruling out the possibility of being ‘cornered’ anywhere. You may be at the bus stop. He may ‘catch’ you at the dinner table. It could be while you are in the washroom. When you are strong / matured spiritually, your spiritual antenna is fine tuned to receive signals from above anywhere, anytime. An example of waiting upon the Lord in prayer can be found under CHOICE OF A LIFE PARTNER: LET GO AND LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY.
“............ Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who wait for me will never be put to shame." (Isaiah 49:23 NLT)
But who has the time and patience to wait upon the Lord? Knowing fully well that delay in receiving a response may amount to being mocked or laughed at? God promised Abraham and Sarah that they will give birth to the promised child (Genesis 18:9-15). “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:14 NKJV). I guess the Lord took way too long as far as the couple were concerned. “So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her”(Genesis 16:2 NKJV). The chain of events that unfolded afterwards (Genesis 16:1-16 NKJV) reinforced the notion that it is better to move at God’s pace - regardless.
God is not a man, that he should lie. He is not a human, that he should change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19 NLT)
Once you’ve ascertained that it is the path charted by the Lord, wait upon Him continually and prayerfully, and press on. Though you may encounter challenges on the way, He will make way for you where it seems there is no way. He will create opportunity for you where it seems none could or should exist. He will indubitably help you defy all odds.
6 ......... It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel's way; it will flatten out before him!......" (Zechariah 4:6,7 NLT)
Knowing fully well that delay in receiving a response may amount to being mocked or laughed at, who has the time and patience to wait upon the Lord? Over the years, the Lord had often impressed it on me that indeed some people may ridicule you or make a laughing stock out of you. Never mind. They should laugh at you. Come to think of it, considering the fact that you are going to have the last laugh, isn’t it ‘fair and just’ to give them a chance to have the first laughs? Remember, “Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who wait for me will never be put to shame." (Isaiah 49:23 NLT) He who laughs last, laughs most, laughs longest.
Remember, prayer is not just talking to God; it also involves our receiving from His end as well. The prayer street is not designed for one way traffic; the route is meant for constant flow of traffic in both directions. Hear ye? Good. Next: Forgiven.
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37 NKJV).
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV).
Often times, I find myself struggling with forgiving people of whatever they may have done to me in the past. The Lord has consistently make one thing clear to me: if I do not forgive others, neither will He forgive me. I find myself sometimes struggling in my spirit and wondering, “Forgive them? Why do I have to give them that? Why do I have to do that for them?” And the Lord has always reminded me of this fact: “Son, you are not doing it for them. You are doing for Me. You are doing it for your own benefit!”
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13 NLT)
......... For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:10,11 NKJV).
23 “So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. (Matthew 5:23-24 NLT)
Several years ago, a young lady asked to be prayed for concerning a recurring issue in her life. She’d been to several medical practitioners to seek resolve to what was considered a psychological issue. Despite several attempts, there was no result. When she narrated her ordeal to the man of God, he proceeded to praying for her. As he stretched out a hand in an attempt to lay it on her head, he was restrained from doing so by the strong inner voice of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit impressed it on him what the root of the problem was: there is a particular person in her life that that she was holding back on in terms of forgiveness. Upon sensing that he paused, she began to wonder what was going on. An answer arrived in no time. He informed her of what the Lord was laying upon his heart. He asked her if there is someone in particular she’s holding back on in terms of forgiveness. After a very brief moment of hesitation and soul-searching, she admitted that there is indeed someone: her mother. She pointed out that her mom had done something to her in the past that is so serious there is no way she can forgive her. She wondered why he couldn’t deal with the issue by just stretching his hands, lay them on her and pray for her vigorously in tongues. He pointed out to her that that was his original intention until the Lord laid the words upon his heart. He could pray for her in tongues - as expected - quite all right. Just that even though she might end up being impressed by his gestures, it would not have brought her any meaningful result. Come to think of it "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22 NLT)
"Now if you will fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD's commands, and if you and your king follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. (1 Samuel 12:14 NLT)
He encouraged her to accept the ‘simple’ (yet not-so-simple) solution being offered by the Lord. For her, it was rather difficult. Seeing that there is no short cut to her deliverance, she decided to accept God’s solution. Like anyone else, the thought of having to ‘drag’ herself and ‘crawl’ to the perpetrator of the crime sort of bruised her ego. She soon realized that the garment of forgiveness and the garment of humility are cut out of the same cloth. Though it felt unjustified as first, she traveled quite some distance to visit her mother who lived not very close by. Her demonstration of obedience to the voice of the Spirit saw her hugging her mom in reconciliation. The mom had been waiting for that day to come. As silly and as far-fetched as it might have seem at first, believe it or not, she got delivered from her mental / health predicament without another visit to a therapist. To think that the solution to a big problem oftentimes lie in ‘simple’ solutions.
Remember Job and his three friends Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite? Despite the way Job’s three friends reacted to his misfortune, he stood in the gap for them and interceded for the deliverance of their souls when the Lord was going to unleash his wrath on the trio (Job 42:7-9). How do you forgive individuals who took it upon themselves to compound your woes, constantly add insults upon injury, tells you that you deserve what happened to you after all you brought it upon yourself? What about the condescending remarks? The taunting. The rejection – especially from people you least expect. Not to talk of failure to demonstrate understanding to someone who really needs it. For an average person, do you think it’s easy to overlook all that? Think again. Yet Job complied with the Lord’s directive to put on the garment of forgiveness and prayed for these same friends. And the results / fruits?
And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before......... Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; ............ (Job 42:10,12 NKJV)
God bless.
Yours
Adekunle Majek’
H I A F E M
Of impact, quality and excellence
That’s the Spirit!
P.S. I believe that the Lord has used this piece to bless you immensely. How about sharing it with others?
To return to HIAFEM Homepage, click here.
