Day 4 Walking in the Spirit by David Wilkerson

What thrills me about this message is the certain assurance that there is much more to God than what I know, higher heights, deeper depths, and the invitation - the call - to know Him, to walk with Him, to hear His voice, so much more than I ever have before.

What puzzles me is that sometimes it's not difficult to hear what He is saying, and at other times it's very difficult.

What strikes me is this idea that "God would never allow His people who seek to be led by the Holy Spirit and walk in the Holy Spirit and be led by the Word and then let 'em be deceived." (23:00) It seems that he is saying that those who seek to be led by the Holy Spirit and walk in the Holy Spirit cannot fail to hear from God, cannot fail to know God's will for a decision - but I can't say that this is always my experience. I've been wrong - thinking I'd heard from God, and as far as I can tell, I honestly sought God, on my face, with fasting and prayer. It seems like He's saying that if your heart is right, it's impossible for you to think it 's the Holy Spirit when it's not. If that is correct, it might also be possible to conclude that therefore someone who makes a blunder was not seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit. Have I misunderstood?

I am not sure that anything dealing with the Spirit is all as "figure-out-able" as we would like...I was struck recently by the HS being compared to wind, and the "wind blows where it will"...

There are several reasons why we can blunder in hearing Him - we hear something clearly but mis-interpret or misapply it, or run ahead without His timing; we hear something and our will slants it in a direction we want - all, possibly, while sincerely wanting to hear. I think David is trying to bring assurance, that if we are wanting to hear (and following some biblical guidelines on hearing - such as seeking the "counsel of elders", or allowing "the peace of God to rule in our heart", along with getting personal direction - we aren't going to be mislead by the enemy.); He is a Father, He wants us to walk in the path He has marked for us. We don't have to be gripped by the fear of being wrong. I just finished "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkheurst and liked her perspective: "God's promises are not dependent on my ability to always choose well, but rather on His ability to USE well." and "If I am trusting myself, I will stare at all the possible ways I could fail. If I am trusting God, I will stare at all the possible ways He'll use this whether I fail or succeed." He is so much bigger than my silliness and dullness of hearing!

Thanks, Dalene. That helps.

I'm reminded of the times that I thought I heard, and was wrong, and how God, in His mercy, shut doors. He is big, and good, and so wise - and we can trust Him. He has even made plans for my blunders, how to make something good out of that. And there is Peace in that!