How to Hear from God

Today has been one of those days where I wasn't sure what to blog. Sometimes, I almost worry a bit until I focus and remember that God ALWAYS gives me something. I don't have to be concerned about running out of content to post on here to help others because GOD is in charge. He always supplies me with something to share! Yet, sometimes I also get concerned that I won't hear Him even when He is speaking.

Today, I was absolutely wowed by a verse while listening to a sermon at Huntington Baptist Church today. It spoke to me about that very concern that I just mentioned. It wasn't something I didn't already know, but for some reason, it hit me in a fresh way:

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. - Isaiah 59:2

Iniquity. Sin. If we can't hear, if we feel separated from Him, it's because something isn't right in our hearts. We are holding something back from Him; our unconfessed sin. When Jesus was on the cross, He had the sin of the whole world on Himself and He had asked God why He had forsaken Him (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). God is holy. Sin can't stand in His presence. It becomes a barrier between Him and us. Until it's torn down by our confession, and the forgiveness through Christ's blood (1 John 1:9), we're going to continue to feel distant from God. We have to make it right! God wants to be near us. He'll draw near to us if we draw near to Him (James 4:8). He never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:8). We're the ones that build up that wall and cause that distance by running away from Him and letting sin build up in our lives.

I've been struggling for a few years to feel God's presence like I used to (and yearn to). I keep praying for the wisdom to see and hear Him clearly and to be aware of the things that I need to do to accomplish that. I am a constant work in progress. I'm doing much better, but I still have a lot of work to do. I'm going to keep praying for God to sensitize me and to keep learning how to die to self more and more every day (Matthew 16:24-25).

I want God to hear me; and I want to hear from God. I don't want His face to be hidden from me. I want to SEEK IT! I want to connect with God, but building a wall of sin brick by brick is going to make it impossible unless it's torn down by confession and the blood of Jesus. Dear Lord, give me the strength I need to do whatever needs to be done!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! May we all have humble and open hearts to the Spirit of God; sensitized and never callused. Watch the video below. It's a powerful illustration of how God chips away at us and molds us into his masterpiece if we allow Him to work in us and remove the things that don't belong!
Be infused! God bless you!