The day I ignored God's voice 

As I have been reflecting on how God’s Word brings me joy this week, I reflected on how much the Word unlocks situations for me.  It speaks directly into my situations and gives me solutions, life and wisdom.   The enemy can use God’s word to bring discouragement (remember Jesus in the desert?) so it isn’t just the written Word in itself that speaks to me, but rather the Living Word, Jesus and His Spirit who bring the Word alive for me and who brings me joy. 

Yesterday I mentioned a sin I felt was unforgiveable - I felt responsible for the death of the baby we recently miscarried.  You see, I had a suspicion that I was pregnant, but hadn’t yet taken a test.  All of our family had been suffering with some stomach issues which required medicating us all, and the first time the medicine hadn’t been effective so we had to try again.  I was keen to get rid of the problem and when Mark didn’t come back with a pregnancy test because $20 for a test was too expensive when we can get them back home in a week for $2, I didn’t know whether to take the stomach medicine or not.  I asked God and I felt Him clearly telling me not too, but then I began doubting myself and I just wanted to get rid of the stomach problem so I took the tablet and prayed that if I was pregnant there would be no adverse effects.  

So when I had severe stomach pains the next day which then ended me up in the ER for two days and when I had a miscarriage a week later, whether or not the miscarriage was a result of me taking the tablets I felt it was.  I felt responsible for the death of the child and I felt the guilt of disobeying God’s still small voice. 

And when I looked at God’s word, the story that the enemy used to pursue me was the one of Moses not being allowed to enter into the Promised Land because He had been disobedient and presumptuous and not listened to God’s direct, specific instructions to Him. (Numbers 20).  All I could hear was that I would be punished for my disobedience and would not receive promises God had for me.  It was a crushing, debilitating weight that made it difficult for me to engage with God.  

As I talked about yesterday, that guilt made me go back and look at what my salvation actually means and what forgiveness and grace actually means because of the cross of Jesus.  

Breakthrough against the lie the enemy was feeding me with the Moses story, however, also came through the Word.  I shared my feelings of guilt with a friend by email and told her about the tablets I had taken.  She brought me the story of Simon Peter after he had denied Jesus and how he was reinstated.  Whether or not taking the tablets had caused the death of the baby was irrelevant - I knew I had taken God's voice to me lightly and dismissed Him and I needed to repent and be forgiven. Just reading Simon Peter's story brought freedom - physical freedom! I felt the chains on my spirit fall off as I recognised the truth - there was forgiveness for me and God would no longer hold it against me.  Joy began to flood my heart again as the truth in His Word - His forgiveness, His acceptance of me, His washing me clean again became a truth I was able to take hold of and inhabit.  

So, God’s Word unlocking situations for me is one of the things that brings me joy.  Here are some other ways that God’s Word brings me joy: 

1. His commands bring peace - knowing the boundaries brings security and confidence and peace. 

2. There is relevance in every passage and even the ‘dullest’ passages come alive as you read them with the Holy Spirit. 

3. The more you meditate on God's Word, the more revelation comes. 

4. The stories of the people in the Bible are real and show some huge mistakes, which brings grace and hope to my own mess-ups. 

5. The Bible tells it how it is- it doesn’t sugar-coat or mess around but convictingly brings truth which can be proven and tested with confidence. 

6. It reveals more of who God is.  We accurately get to see many glimpses of God and truly see more of who He is as we read the Word.  This enables us to better relate to Him. 

7.  It is empowering and it is for me! The promises in the Word, when I embrace them bring freedom, power to move forward and breakthrough! God is for me - what an incredible truth!

Let's put on joy together: 

Think about a time the Word of God has brought you joy or write your own list of how God's Word brings you joy.  Spend a moment thanking God for His Word. 

Enjoy spending time in His Word today! This is Day 9 of a 21 Day challenge to put on joy in practical ways.  You can receive these posts by email by clicking to sign up here.