The Voice That Sets Us Free
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)
Someone asked me today how to explain discernment AND how to battle against fear to a youth (ya know, in that tween-ish age). I suppose it’s the same way I would explain discernment and how to battle fear to an adult, because probably we all need these weighty deep wonderful spiritual things brought down to a child’s level. My life has been so crazy lately, that I think I’m operating on a toddler-level brain these days… But even in the absence of craziness, His kindness brings the expanse of these understandings into manageable pieces for us.
It’s always fun to “teach” someone else about something in the Lord, because it reminds me what I really believe, it inspires me to kind of dive back into what I know of Him, and it draws out of me ways of thinking and understanding that I wouldn’t otherwise have at my disposal.
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. (Proverbs 20:5)
Honestly, it’s probably for my benefit that the Lord lets me teach anything! He’s like, she needs a refresher, I got you, girl. ;) In any case, here’s a little bit of what got drawn to the surface today…
Discernment as I understand it includes letting the Lord show me what HE says in this moment in this place. What does He say right now right here, as opposed to all the things He COULD say (the Bible in its entirety). It can also include identifying different “voices” or forces other than the Lord that are at work in any given moment or situation.
There aren’t a lot of verses in the Bible that talk specifically about discernment, other than 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul is listing how the Spirit is given to each one of us through different gifts, one of which is discerning of Spirits. But the Bible talks a LOT about how God talks to us. I mean, the Bible IS God talking to us! Over and over God has come up with ways to get to His people, for them to know what He’s saying, what He’s doing, where the good stuff is (and where it ain’t). I think discernment begins with the understanding that God is always talking to us. Like always. He has more thoughts for us than grains of sand, right (Psalm 139:17-18)?
So learning what God sounds like and what kinds of things He says, how it works and feels for each of us individually is SUCH a fun wonderful process! Learning to differentiate between my thoughts, the pizza I had for lunch, and God’s voice… That’s one of the main reasons we read the Bible–so we know what kinds of things He says, what they sound and feel like, to be “alerted” when He has something for us (or for someone else). When the Lord gifts us with discernment, that extra measure of identifying and hearing him, it’s for the purpose of either our own understanding OR for the benefit of helping someone else’s understanding.
One of my kids when they were just beginning their journey into the deeper understandings of the Lord and how He works gave me a Scripture they thought of for me. They actually texted it to me, because they didn’t know if it was good or not but just felt like they couldn’t rest until they gave it but they’d never done anything like that before… They texted me before they went to bed. The cutest sweetest. And frankly, it was spot on. I was SUPER stressed that evening, and they gave me the verse: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:2). I mean, talk about fitting the right puzzle piece into the hole! They’d barely started reading their Bible regularly, felt super uneducated in the things of God, but just had to share.
What a wonderful conversation THAT was the next day. Getting to tell them how appropriate the verse was, how the Lord talked to me through their sharing. I told them A-N-Y-T-I-M-E you have a Scripture come to mind for someone that is encouraging, comforting, etc., you GO for it! I mean, don’t be handing out “God will smote you” verses, but anything in the encouragement comfort promise department, ASSUME it is the Lord! That’s what I do. Because I am not THAT smart. God knows how to draw to the surface of my heart the things He wants to say through me–if I have let myself be washed over in His word, if I have let His voice become more and more familiar…
That conversation was the beginning of my child learning that God talks not only TO us, but also THROUGH us. I would put discernment a bit more in the God talking THROUGH us category, giving us messages of encouragement and truth for other people (and ourselves).
But then there’s the realization that just as God is always talking to us, so are there other voices talking to us, other forces at work. Sometimes discernment is identifying what is going on “behind the scenes” in the spiritual realm. And that’s where things like fear and worry enter the picture. Places where the enemy is trying to “teach” us about ourselves or about life instead of the Lord (through our parents or people we trust) teaching us about ourselves and life.
God says, don’t be afraid or discouraged because wherever you Go, I’m going there, too (in fact, I’m already there) (Joshua 1:9). The enemy says be afraid, be very afraid–you can’t trust God. You should ESPECIALLY be afraid when XYZ happens. You ARE afraid, says the enemy, YOU are timid, you you you…
But the Lord helps us DISCERN THE TRUTH, between joins and marrow, soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). The kind of truth that SETS US FREE from those pesky other voices those looming forces. Like in the Wizard of Oz, the wizard seemed so scary when he was a big ol’ floating yelling head with fire. But when the “truth” was discerned/revealed, not so much on the scary side as the pathetic and dare I say manipulative side.
The Lord says ALL the things I tell you I give them to you so that your joy may be full (John 15:11). I feel that my joy would be fullest without fear and worry and all those other voices–anybody with me? He gives us His word so that when we are “overcome” by this world and all the gauntlet of pain in our minds and lives, we don’t have to worry (well, not for too long anyway, I think we always worry a little bit before we find our spiritual footing), because HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD!
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [a]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
I remember when I was first learning about discerning of spirits, it was like I could “feel” things everywhere. Like suddenly there were eyeballs in the dark (like in those old cartoons) ALL watching me looking at me. I felt like I couldn’t watch movies with certain lighting or listen to a bunch of songs because of the “feeling” behind them. I talked to my mom trying to sort it all out, and she said the goal of discernment (the GIFT from the Lord) was NOT to make my life smaller and have me be overwhelmed by the feelings. The goal was that I could overcome THOSE things in the name of Jesus!
Discernment is becoming familiar with Jesus’ voice–knowing His voice–and following it. Discernement is just a particular kind of message from the Lord–not coded so certain people don’t know it, maybe more like its own language. You just learn and become familiar with it so you can help translate for others (and yourself) the things that seem so confusing or overwhelming.
The enemy makes everything complicated and overwhelming and too big for us. The Lord makes wisdom simple to those of us who trust in Him–and that’s what discernment is. Trusting His thoughts, His voice, His words over my own eyes my own impressions. He came simply to give us life, so His voice sounds like life, like comfort, like authority and power. His name is Jesus. And at THAT name EVERY knee must bow. Sometimes discernment is identifying when there are things around that are not bowing to the name of Jesus. The Lord can alert us to those things so we can turn to them and say the name of Jesus, and they HAVE to bow, they HAVE to stop. Like when Paul whirled around on that girl who had a spirit of divination and said cut it out (Acts 16:16-18). How did he know that’s what was going on? Discernment. But it was for the purpose of getting those things that do not bow to the name of Jesus off his back so he could keep bringing people to the feet of Jesus.
The more I read His word, the more familiar His voice becomes. And the more unfamiliar and “standy-outtie” things that are not bowing to His name become, whether in my mind or in situations. Voila. Discernment. So that we can take every thought captive and put it in HIS hands.
Discernment is NOT so I am cool and “know” things other people don’t know and become sort of soothsayer to the world. It is ALL to bring people to the feet of Jesus, to push out of the way things that stand in the way of people getting there, to identify false voices that masquerade as the Lord’s voice and setting back in order the kind Shepherd of our souls.
It usually starts with us. The Lord wants me to know what it feels like to be comforted, to be delivered, to be set free, to be covered, to be saved. SO THAT I can help others become just as familiar with the Shepherd’s voice, that they too can help other people become familiar with His voice until we all stand in His presence and KNOW how deeply and fully He cares for us.
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
Just walk humbly with Him and love His ways and know His voice. Read His forever words (the Bible) and listen for His right-now words. He’s in charge of the rest. He IS the voice that sets us free. Discernment just helps us hear it.
