God, was that really you… ?

There are many things I love about walking with the Lord, one of them being growing to recognise his voice. As we yield to him, we understand more and more what he sounds like. Therefore, when he speaks over time, it becomes easier to distinguish his voice. My personal favourite is when it is clear. That, without a shadow of a doubt, I know it was him. There is no denying that the Lord has spoken. Do you know that one?

So in response to that word spoken, you act, in full faith, knowing and trusting the one who sent the word. Yet, as you continue to walk it out, you notice that your natural circumstances don’t align. So you start to wonder, „God, was that really you?“ „Did I hear your voice correctly because nothing that I see happening around me looks like it confirms it?“ You keep walking it out in faith but wonder: Did I miss it? Is this still the right path?

And sometimes, the only response you get is silence.

That is the exact space I found myself in recently. I started asking Him: „Was that really you? Because I know you do not lie but I also know that I can miss it.“ And since nothing (exaggerated) seemed like it was working out, I had questions and multiple long conversations with the Lord. So I told Him that I don’t have any problem being wrong, maybe I didn’t hear correctly. I can turn back and get redirected; all I needed was to know whether that was needed.

What if you’re in a space and all you have are questions? I got to learn that if everything I have is questions, I need to go back to square one and trust Him. The Bible says: He instructs us and teaches us in the way we should go and guides us with His eye (Psalm 32:8), that the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter (Proverbs 4:18). I know these things to be true.

I know these things to be true. So, I can remain in the assurance that He guides me. Meaning that in case I did or do take a wrong turn, He will redirect me and let me know. It means that I can trust him with my life and that He cares more about my life than I ever could.

Look at Abraham, the father of many nations; meanwhile, his wife was barren for years. Yet, he was steadfast in his faith, holding on to the word of God regardless of the natural circumstance. He stood on the word that he would be a father of many nations, and lo and behold, he became just that.

In the same way, we see the Lord instructing Noah to build an ark. He did that according to all the instructions of the Lord, to the last detail. Even though there has never been a flood like this, he trusted the voice of God, and it came to pass.

It is so important to know the voice of our Father, and of course, we can have questions. I have questions at times. Yet, there is also a danger in questioning whether God said something. All these questions can be paralysing, leading to not doing anything, stopping with something or doing the complete opposite (been there, done that, tried that). Even though if you silence everything around you, you know this was Him (considering you heard from him before).

Some of these questions come because the natural circumstances don’t align with the word. Some questions come out of nowhere. Out of nowhere, you might wonder: Has God really said this?

We all know this question. Going back to the beginning of creation, this was the very question the serpent asked Eve. This is the same question the enemy is still asking. Did God really say all you have to do is accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and you shall be saved? Did He really say that you are called, chosen, loved, and known? Did God really say this?

It starts with one seemingly innocent question but we know what happened to Adam and Eve. We might actually miss out on all the promises of God and the things he has for us because we doubt. For me, it started with one thought, and it went spiralling. Started with one question, ending with many others. What came out of it, was fear. It made me stagnant because I would rather not move than do the wrong thing.

We serve a loving God, and one thing I know about Him is that His word is true. He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19), so what He said can be trusted. So we can step out on the word and trust it. In church, we sometimes quote what Reinhard Bonnke said: God moves with the movers, not sit with the sitters.

None of us are here to be stagnant but to fulfill the things God has called us to. And even though I value confirmation, after 12 confirmations, the next response you might get is silence. But the time is now. No what-ifs, did He really say this? None of that! It is time to get up and walk.

What does that look like for you?