Have you ever felt prompted NOT to do a certain thing but went ahead anyway? Or you felt a prompting to do something but didn’t? Afterwards you realized you should have listened to that inner voice.
A while back I had such an experience. For our 40th wedding anniversary my husband bought me a beautiful ring. I wanted to wear it to a 21st birthday party. So I did. We slept overnight at our son’s place, which meant I also wore the ring to the football game the next day. Even though I felt prompted to take the ring off, I chose not to listen to that inner voice.
What happened? At one stage during the game, after I’d been waving my team’s flag, amid over 30,000 other enthusiastic footy fans, I looked down and found a gaping hole – the garnet was gone.
My husband, family members and I searched frantically around our seatsand in our bags, but couldn’t find it. Noticing my panic, the woman behind asked what we’d lost. I told her. A few minutes later she handed me the stone. The ring was restored by the shop it was bought from and is now beautiful again. I was blessed, unlike Courtney who lost the diamond from her engagement ring after ignoring the prompting that the ring didn’t feel quite right.
How many other times have you or I ignored that gentle warning voice? One day I left something in a friend’s car. When I realized I rang to tell her I’d come and get it. But a little voice warned me not to leave the house. I rang her back and told her I wasn’t coming and why, even though it probably sounded silly. But that’s the best thing about good friends. She accepted my explanation without any problems and brought me the things Id left behind.
What was the inner voice saving me from? I may never know. I simply knew I must NOT go out in the car again that day. The warning was so strong I felt compelled to listen.
I just wish I always remembered to listen to that still small voice. Sadly I don’t and the times when I haven’t, I’ve soon found out the reason why I should have.
Elijah learned that God often speaks in a ‘still small voice,’ 1 Kings 19:12. God never forces us to act a certain way, but He often gives strong suggestions or warnings. We need to listen to that voice and act on what we are told. Are you listening to the still, small voice of God?
I’d love to hear your experiences of when you have chosen to listen to that still, small voice and the results. Or times when you haven’t and what happened.
Bible verses from The New King James VersionPlease visit these related blogs
are you letting God speak to you?