Tripod God

Maybe if we called the trinity, the tripod, we would not debate it as much. Okay, bad idea. The tripod of hearing God is something I shared in a sermon last year, but it is becoming more and more real to me. Not sure I ever blogged it, so here goes.

How do we hear from God? How do we know what He is saying and what His will for us is?

This is a question that I get in many different forms from many different people. It is a question that I also have wrestled with through the years. But I wrestle with it less these days thanks to this revelation that the Lord gave me. As you know, our family recently made some pretty immense decisions. And honestly, we did so without very much confusion or struggle--partly because of what I am sharing in this post.

Frankly, I think there are thousands of ways that we can hear from God. That said, I believe that there three primary channels through which the Lord clarifies and communicates his purposes for us. I call it the tripod of hearing God:

1. Word of God. What does the word of God have to say about it? It speaks about more than we could ever imagine.
2. People of God. Seek counsel from people that you know walk with Jesus (not just a professing Christian, but someone actively following Christ). Then, pay attention to their cautions and affirmations. They are very indicative of God's heart. And remember- if it ain't sound like God, it probably ain't God.
3. Spirit of God. By far, the hardest to explain and the most mysterious channel, it is extremely important to listen to the spirit of God in you! Acknowledge your thoughts. Listen to the whispers in your soul. And pay very close attention to your conscience.

“The Lord merely spoke ,
and the heavens were created.
 He breathed the word,
 and all the stars were born. For when he spoke, the world began!
 It appeared at his command.” Psalm 33:6, 9

God still speaks!