I was reading this morning of what the prophet Hosea says as he comes to a close in Hosea 14:9, “Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.” Wouldn’t we all have to say we need to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying, rather than what our eyes see that may glimmer and look good. Before making big decisions, we must pray and carefully listen for how God is leading. There may be times others ask to do something that seems harmless but there is a caution in our spirit, and we need to listen to that. Something doesn’t feel right. The Lord sees the whole picture and gives us a warning, even though we may not have a good reason to give. I remember what one of our kids said when not getting something desired, “I get tired of you listening to the Spirit!” Sometimes we may later find out the reason the Lord says no, but even when we don’t, we need to listen.
How do we become more discerning? It is something we should desire for otherwise we can get “hood winked” and manipulated by others and go down wrong paths. We can ask for discernment to perceive what God is saying and not the enemy. I think He loves to grant that request. We need to be in the Word, so we know what is spelled out already as wrong, but also so our heart is open to hear. Of course, we need to also be quiet and listen or we won’t be able to discern what the Spirit is trying to show us, and instead get influenced by the world. More than ever before we need discernment as there is so much going on that may glitter in our culture but leads to death.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord for discernment and be open to how the Spirit will direct you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
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