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| Destination Known Minibook |
We've been talking this week about hearing God's voice in the context of a love relationship with Him. At times, this involves specifically seeking God will for our lives; other times, it simply involves getting to know God better and enjoying a deeper fellowship with Him. Either way, God speaks to us and and when He does, we ought never to take that for granted, dear friend! Everything and anything that Almighty God says is important (even if we do not understand it at the time). And because of this, we should strive to record what God is telling us in some form or fashion and reflect upon it so as to remember it and obey it!
As Henry Blackaby states in Hearing God's Voice, "There is a clear biblical pattern that can be seen wherein God instructed people to commemorate their encounters with him in a tangible way. At times they would erect an alter. Sometimes they would hold a special feast, such as the Passover, to remind them of God's miraculous deliverance. Physical markers such as circumcision were intended to remind the people of God's promise to them. At other times the people would be exhorted to remember what God had done through stories told to successive generations." You see, like sheep, we are a people who are prone to forget and to wander! We ask God's direction with our decision making, and then we become confused when we have to choose God's best for us in a sea of good choices. When discussing those periods of indecision, Blackaby continues, "That's why it is important to mark down every time you know God has spoken to you. Then the next time you sense God guiding you in a decision, you can measure what you are hearing against his last word to you."
So how do we do this? How do we record what God is teaching us and instructing us in tangible ways? Well, friend, there is a myriad of ways that I will quickly share with you today (but this list is by no means exhaustive!). One method is to write the date and a brief notation beside verses in your Bible as God speaks to you through them. (I personally love the ESV Journaling Bible that has plenty of lined margin space for jotting notes.) Also, taking (and keeping) notes in church and Sunday School is another simple way to record what God is teaching you through His word. Journaling (and blogging) is another effective way to keep track of what God is saying to you! But please do not get hung up on making it beautifully written and coherent--just a quick jotting down of Scriptures, visual images, one or two-line prayers, making lists, etc, are effective ways to record what God is showing you through His Word and through circumstances in your life! If you want to get a bit creative, scrapbooking or "faithbooking" is a fun way to commemorate what God is doing in your life. You can check out ideas here and here of minibooks I have made through the course of my own walk with the Lord. And lastly, a keepsake box of written resources, symbolic items, letters, etc., has been a special way in my life to record my spiritual journey in a tangible way (and my keepsake box is actually a suitcase which makes it fun)!
However you choose to do it, please take some time to reflect upon what God has done in your life and what He is currently teaching you and record it, dear friend! I pray and trust that you will be encouraged by this practice in the moment...but also five, ten, or forty years from now as you marvel at how God is faithful to speak to you and guide you in every season of your life!
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