“Is that you, Lord?” A lesson in hearing God

Hearing God, I’m learning, is about heeding the nudges. Acting on those little prompts that pop into my mind, which I’m never completely sure are “just me” or are quite possibly the Lord. That sounds cheeky in and of itself, doesn’t it – I heard GOD. But that is the amazing mystery of the Lord on high communicating with his created ones.

Recently a fragment of a verse from Scripture made itself known to me, and I knew immediately that I should share it with a particular friend. The timing wasn’t convenient – it was after dinner, bath time for the kids, in the rush before the Vicar went to his church meeting. But in that moment I sensed that I should follow the nudge.

The phrase that flitted through my mind was, “I lift mine eyes to the hills; from whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Not being one of those people who can tell you chapter and verse when it comes to the Bible (and yes, the Vicar does have this uncanny ability), I didn’t know where it came from but guessed one of the Psalms. I looked it up online, and loved reading the whole chapter – Psalm 121 – as it continues in a wonderful vein, about how the Lord will not let our foot slip, and how he never slumbers or sleeps.

I texted my friend and she texted me back, saying my timing was perfect and sharing some other wonderful “coincidences” about her life, her children, and God, including: “How special peace feels…”

The Lord graciously used me to bring her comfort and the assurance of his love, but he’s not stingy with his blessings. I received by acting on that little nudge – not only receiving the love of my friend, but gaining confidence that in this instance the nudge was divinely inspired. I’ve been on this journey of hearing God for two decades now, and I certainly wouldn’t call myself an expert – I need these grace-filled experiences that teach me to open my ears and heart and obey.

The Lord – amazingly – uses his children for the meeting of his people’s needs. We are his hands and his feet to bring his love to his people.

How about you? Have you acted on those little nudges? If so, what happened?