Feel, see, hear…and respond

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

I thank God that He has a variety of ways by which He can get our attention. For the person who prioritizes Bible time, the ability to pick up on cues from the Holy Spirit will become somewhat easier over time. That’s because God’s Word is a Discerner (see Hebrews 4:12), and He uses it to enlighten us (see John 1:9). The Holy Spirit does not move outside of the parameters of the Word of God, and at the same time, Word of God is indwelt by the Holy Spirit—the two flow together. It makes sense, therefore, that one of the names for the Bible is the Sword of the Spirit.

In 1997 I “felt” the sensation of sharp impact to my left temple as I drove home from church, prompting me to pray. On the other side of town, my friends John and Janet were about to have a head-on collision in which Janet would strike the windshield with her left temple. She and John survived, and Janet suffered nothing in her body but a broken wrist and a bald spot on her left temple the size of a quarter. No scratches, bruises, or welts could be found on that side of her head—she definitely got the better end of the deal between herself and the windshield she shattered! The Holy Spirit had given me a sensation of impact to the left temple; I prayed until the feeling lifted; and Janet and John are alive and well to this day (see “Is it just me or the Holy Ghost?”).

I have learned over the years that when I get some type of unexplainable “sensation” to take some time to pray about it. I’m well aware that some of the time I may have prayed about things that simply popped up in my imagination, but I know that in John and Janet’s case, my prayer hit the very real target.

Years before the situation with John and Janet, I had a similar “feeling”—along with a quick “picture”—that flashed in my mind. I was taking my customary daily walk in my peaceful neighborhood. I passed by a beautiful home on the right hand side of the street and saw a young teen standing on the porch drinking a Mountain Dew. Instantly, I saw an image in my mind of the soda can flying out of the boy’s hand and I “felt” its impact on the back of my head. I said under my breath, “I bind that, in the name of Jesus!”

No sooner had I bound the scenario I had just “seen” and “felt” when in the street behind me I  heard a crash. I turned to look—and the boy had indeed hurled the nearly full can of soda my way, missing me by a foot or so.

All too often, we think that the random oddball thoughts, pictures, or feelings that arise are “just me”, but my goal is to encourage you to take the time to pray about those things before your mind jumps on to a new thought and you miss an opportunity to be led by God’s Spirit.

I moved to a new town as a young Christian, and I was just learning how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I was looking for an apartment move into. As I drove to one I had seen advertised, I felt a nudge to take an earlier exit off the highway. I obeyed and traveled on that road for a couple of miles, and seeing nothing, decided to turn around.

I pulled off and was about to go back to my original destination when I heard a quiet voice within me say, “Pursue those houses.” I did, and soon saw a large sign advertising an apartment complex. Following other signs along the way, I found the complex, fell in love with it, and signed the lease for quite a bit less per month than I would have paid at the place I was originally considering. As it turned out, the complex to which I was led was also much closer to the place of employment where I would eventually be hired.

I also needed a bed frame. I had a twin mattress and box springs, but no frame, so one Saturday morning as I drove around the community where I was temporarily staying, I saw a garage sale. I heard that same quiet voice direct me to enquire about the bed frame. I parked, walked up the driveway, scanned all the objects on display, but saw no bed frame. I believed, however, that the Holy Spirit had told me I would find a bed frame there, so I approached the lady of the house.

“I’m looking for a twin-sized bed frame,” I stated.

Her eyes widened as she wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. “Well, I’ll be! We debated about lugging that thing up from the basement and thought better of it—we didn’t think anyone would want it! Sure you can have it!”

She called her husband over and he and their son went in to retrieve a dusty, spider-webby twin bed frame—in perfect condition! I paid five dollars for it, took it home, and cleaned it up to look like new.

I’ve bought all kinds of things over the years—cars, furniture, clothes and accessories, appliances, technology, a house—but that old bed frame remains unique to me among my earthly treasures, both past and present. When the Holy Spirit gets in on the action, He can make a dusty old, spider-webby, five-dollar purchase glitter like fine gold in your memory.

Abide in the Word, and the Discerner will be a reliable Guide for you.

Dorothy

“Take my instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest gold.
For wisdom is better than jewels;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10-11