God is neither deaf, mute or inert. He’s not dead or even sick. God yearns to speak to our hearts personally every day and be the main factor in our lives. But it’s pitiful how few people really know this, take it to heart and take action about it. And, yes, I certainly mean most Christians.

The Bible says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14) But how many believers are really led of God? How many even know what that means? It means that God, through the Holy Spirit can give you downright, upright personal directions for your life, daily and hourly.

Now that probably sounds “out there” to many if not most reading this. But it’s not. It’s New Testament Christianity and there are loads and loads of examples of this in the New Testament as well as the Old. In Acts 8 Philip was going down to Joppa and on the road he saw the Ethiopian eunuch who was in his chariot. Somehow Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah 53. Then what happened? Take note! The Spirit told Philip to “Go, join yourself to this charioit”. (Acts 8:29) Philip was led of God. He heard the voice of God telling him something to do right then.

Often it’s a matter of doing what the Holy Spirit is telling you go do, right then. Philip obeyed the voice of God, went and witnessed to that man and it changed the course of history in Ethiopia. But God had to find a person willing to obey Him in that split second of the golden opportunity, made by the Holy Spirit.

Now I know some will be growing skeptical here. “Mark, are you advocating ‘hearing voices?’ What about the Word of God, Mark?!”

Of course I agree. The first way to know the will of God is through His written Word. This is the irrefutable, unmistakable and final way to know the will of God. As Isaiah 8:20 says, “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” In Phiip’s case, he already was fully versed in the Word of God from what he had been learning in Jerusalem, at the beginnings of the early Church. But in his case, it took the sudden, supernatural prompting of the Holy Spirit to lead him and point him at that moment into the high will of God.

The problem is, lots of people know that they should put God’s Word first, obey it and promote it above all. But they “leave the other undone.” They’re big on the Bible but not really having a living relationship with the Lord. And inadvertently they fulfill the verse “the letter kills but the Spirit makes alive.” (II Corinthias 3:6) One of the things that Jesus said that has always really spoken to me is this. “He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me. And he that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest myself unto him.” (John 14:21)

But how many people are really having the Lord manifest Himself unto themselves daily? How many are really being led of the Lord? We need to “pour out our hearts before him” and in turn He has promised repeatedly, “Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you know not.” (Jerimiah 33:3) It’s sad and even ominous that the personal relationship that many believers have with God is pretty distant, often rather stale and tenuous as well.

It doesn’t have to be that way and it really shouldn’t be. Moment by moment  we should be in a living personal relationship with the Lord, our “antennas” up, our spirits “turned on and tuned in” to hear His voice. Yes, He may speak to us through His Word. He may bring to our minds some verse from His Word that applies to our situation. Of course, if you are weak in the Word, if you’ve never really delved into it or even memorized portions of it, then it becomes more difficult for the Holy Spirit to “bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)

I think even the state of the world in our times can easily be traced back to a lack of real, personal contact with God for most people on a daily basis. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) How many are personally, individually coming in prayer to the throne of grace and then obtaining the help they need? Or the council and direction they need?

So often, God has to put the pressure on. So often, so many of us are content to rock along in our comfort zone, settling down into our routine so that there’s little difference at all between us and the children of this world. Therefore, God in His love puts the pressure on in order to break us out of our lethargy and dullness and get us to seek His face for His grace.

Would to God that more people would “judge themselves so that they wouldn’t have to be judged”. (See Romans 11:32) So many live in spiritual poverty, so many will look back in regret and remorse when they get to heaven for all they could have done and should have done, but didn’t.

Well, thank God. Thank God for the future to come and which in many ways truly is here already. While so many Christians are content with things as they are, Satan and his minions are working overtime to increase the evil and darkness upon this world. And Christians more and more are being swept away or dulled into spiritual death by these things. But some are seeing the rapidly rising tide of darkness and are learning that they have to start praying, hearing from God and obeying him like their lives depended on it.  Oh, that His Spirit will find hearts willing to awaken and get engaged in following God like never before in our times.