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This week, I’ve been asked a question that comes up from time to time. In the past, I’ve given it what I thought to be a “correct” answer, but considering just how often it seems to arise among us, whether guests, baptismal candidates, or Church members, I thought it must be time for a proper examination, and a more complete Biblical response.
The wording of the question can vary, but the idea is always the same. “How do I know when God is talking to me?” “How can I tell the difference between my own thoughts, and the leading of the Holy Spirit?” “How can I tell if my conscience is in harmony with Yahweh’s will for my life?” “How do I know I am making the right decision when it comes to matters that may have an influence on my spiritual condition?” “How will I know when I receive an answer to a prayer when I am seeking wisdom or guidance from my Heavenly Father?” “How do I distinguish between my flesh, a temptation from a demon, and the ‘mind of Christ?’”
These questions reflect a perfectly understandable uncertainty. We know what the Scriptures tell us of the natural state of mankind. Yahweh said to Moses, “Thou canst not see My face, for there shall no man see Me, and live.” (Exo 33:20) This is true in a literal sense. Yahweh is Spirit, and light, and love; how He can be these things, and yet communicate with us, is a mystery for eternal examination. If we were to see the pure manifestation of our Father, or the fullness of the glory of the Son, we would not be able to withstand it. When Christ returns, as the Scriptures tell us, the wicked are struck dead “with the brightness of His coming.” (2Th 2:8) We read of the Israelites’ experience with Him: “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” (Exo 20:21)
In a study from some years ago, called Araphel, I explain that Yahweh, in order to permit the continuing existence of sin in His universe for the sake of His creation’s freedom, must hide Himself until the judgment. He surrounds Himself with “thick darkness” of both a physical nature when He appears to His messengers, and in a spiritual sense, because there are parts of Him too glorious for us to currently comprehend. Even for the converted, even for the sanctified, much of our Father’s nature remains a necessary mystery.
Prophecies are given in symbols. Yahshua taught in parables and “dark sayings.” (Psalm 78:2) It is not that the Father and Son wish to place any unnecessary barriers between Them and us, but Their goodness, their brightness, their Holiness, is of such an infinite quality that in their unveiled majesty, no free will could survive. Even if we were to survive due to an absolute absence of sin (both known and unknown) we would obey out of overwhelming humility. In the final judgment, by the divine declaration, Yahshua says, “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Rom 14:11) It is not that every owner of those knees is faithful or redeemed, but that the unveiled authority of the Father and Son inherently requires full submission. We are rightly to be proud of our Father in Heaven, both for what He reveals, and for what He currently keeps hidden away.
I heard a story many years ago about a very rich prince who pretended to be a poor commoner, in order to ensure that any woman he would choose as a bride would love him for who he was as a person, and not because he was wealthy and powerful. In a sense, faith works like that. We cannot truly love and serve Yahweh if we are overwhelmed by His power, or seeking a reward, or if we are afraid of punishment. The Scriptures, written entirely to teach us the principles of life, and to save us from destruction, mention “hell,” in the sense of the second death for the sinner, less than fifty times. It is not something our Father would have us use as a focus for our thoughts. It is true that some can only be awakened from the drunkenness of sin with a warning; as Jude says, “others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:23) That is not, though, the ideal by any means.
The Scriptures make it clear, in a number of different ways, that Yahweh has – for our sakes – distanced Himself from the perception of His physical creation. We cannot see Him. We cannot hear His voice directly. He does not appear in a large, sky-wide vision above His people and give them commands. On the rare occasion He speaks directly down to the earth, it sounds like thunder to most people. (John 12:29) He does not inspire everyone, even among His faithful servants, with the same ideas at the same time. While all have the privilege of approaching the Throne with prayer, He will choose one or two messengers, and expect His people to hear them and discern His voice in their words. “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” (1Cor 14:29) “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.” (Rev 2:29)
Note carefully… what Yahweh is doing here is promoting unity, cooperation, and a covenant. He does not broadcast His will to every member of His Church. He does not say, “Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the solitary messenger,” or “the independent ministry,” or “the individual reformer.” Our Father, through His Spirit, speaks to “the Churches” in these last days, the congregations, the groups of people who have overcome sin, and stand peacefully in the light of judgment.
As a consequence of that, though, that distance and that desire for His People to draw together as one, we must often rely upon one another to know Him. We see our Father in the words and actions of our spiritual family. The individual human cannot see the face of Yahweh and live, but a Church… that is another story. The Church stands in the presence of Yahweh, by His Spirit, in His love, and in His light. The Church knows the Father and Son, as a bride knows her husband, and as any good wife, she is trusted. “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” (Pro 31:10-12) Though written for a very practical purpose, this passage describes very well the faithful Church, and the relationship between Yahweh and His people.
When we pray, we very rarely receive a direct, individual answer. This is by design. It causes us to seek one another out for advice, for comfort, and for wisdom. It is written that “in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,” (Pro 11:14) and this aspect of Yahweh’s character is the reason why. We are each given a portion of His wisdom, and so, when we are together as one, we hear His voice, and know His will.
How do we know we are hearing the voice of our Father? We may know, because as a people we have taught and learned His principles. We have studied the Word together, and had experiences together that reveal what works according to His will. Among those whom Yahweh has given to the Church family are “pastors and teachers,” (Eph 4:11) whose very titles indicate that they guide and build up the members of the divine family here on earth.
In light of this, it is clear that the members of the last generation of saints, the 144,000 who perfectly follow the Lamb, will not be free of questions and, at times, perplexity – otherwise they wouldn’t need pastors and teachers. Yahshua, the very Son of Yahweh, would often spend entire nights in prayer, seeking guidance and comfort. We read this passage, “And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to Yahweh. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples; and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles.” (Luke 6:12, 13)
This is not often discussed, but Yahshua had many followers for a time in His ministry. We hear almost exclusively of the twelve whom He chose that morning, but there were others who could have filled those roles. This was a critical decision, because the nature and expression of the Plan of Salvation to the world would depend on the individuals whom He chose. This, just by itself, confirms that Yahweh does not control the words and thoughts that come forth from His servants. He does not tell them what to say, or what to write, but He guides them by His Spirit, and out of their own converted hearts come His wisdom. If the Father were to simply use the human bodies of His followers as puppets of His Spirit, it would not matter in the least who the Apostles were, and yet, before their selection, Yahshua spent the entire night in prayer with the Father. Who would speak most clearly of the Gospel? Who would endure trials and temptations for the Word of God? Who would remain humble after being granted great authority over the principalities and powers? Who would endure the vision of heavenly things without becoming puffed up with pride?
These were questions with which Yahshua was wrestling, and so He prayed. His followers today have questions. What kind of a job should I get? How should I speak to friends and relatives about my faith? How do I set a good example of Christian principles to the people that I meet in the course of my day? While these may seem like small matters compared to the selection of the future princes of the Heavenly Tribes, (Mat 19:28) these are just as important – at least to a few souls at a time – in terms of them learning who the Savior is, and escaping the destruction of the wicked in the final judgment. That, to those people, is everything.
The people of Yahweh must balance two principles that may seem to be in opposition to one another. With regard to our decision-making, we must be confident, but correctable. The Spirit of Yahweh makes those which it fills confident but correctable. They speak with boldness, assurance. They do not appear to be timid, or uncertain of their course, especially in matters of spiritual significance. And yet, they are not arrogant. There is no thought that, “I know what I am doing, so nobody can help me to do better.” There is no spirit in them of resistance, and if they are shown to be in error, they will repent and do elsewise.
When we share the truth, we say, “God has said this. Our Father has spoken, and shown us that.” When we speak of our own testimony and experiences, we say, “The Gospel teaches us righteousness by faith. We have victory over all sin through the love of our Father and the sacrifice of the Son.” There is no question about that, no shadow of doubt in our teaching, whether we are Bible students for twenty years, or twenty minutes. We say, with Paul, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” (2Cor 4:13) We say, as it is written, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” (Heb 10:35) We say, with Yahshua Himself, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen.” (John 3:11)
When we approach the seeking of answers with this spirit, our Father will always guide us just exactly as we need to be guided, and will satisfy our souls. We make bold decisions, but are not afraid to be shown a better way. We speak according to our divinely fortified understanding, but listen for the Spirit, perhaps through the Word, perhaps through divine inspiration, perhaps through a brother or sister, to refine that understanding ever further.
When I have been asked questions like those I mentioned in the beginning, like, “How do I know it is truly Yahweh speaking to me,” I have answered according to what I have shared so far: Make sure that your choices do not violate the Law of Yahweh. Make sure that your decisions are healthy, and bring glory to our Father. Look for the principles of the wisdom we have received from On High, and see if there is any applicability to your question. Seek out advice from experienced brethren, because we are not often required to make hard decisions on our own, and we have been given pastors and teachers for assistance. Let your decision reflect the boldness, the confidence, that you have in your Redeemer.
These are, I think, the way to properly approach this life’s complexities. The Church, which beholds the face of Yahweh, will not agree with a demon’s temptations. When we honor the relationship with have with our Father as individuals, and when we honor the covenant we have with our brethren, we shall not fall into transgression of the Law, or wander from the Narrow Path. At the same time, we will not be controlled by Yahweh, and we will not be manipulated by our brethren.
This might seem strange to consider, because, in saying we wish to serve Yahweh, in saying that we are obedient to His Will, and with the testimony of Yahshua say that we “do always those things that please Him,” are we not saying that we want to be under His control? Are we not saying that we want Him to control us, to make our decisions for us so that those decisions will always be correct?
No… not in any kind of absolute sense. It is not Yahweh’s will that He control us. It is not His desire that He make our decisions for us. Remember, Yahshua prayed intensely before selecting His apostles. Yahweh hides Himself in darkness for our freedom’s sake. If He wished to control us, He could do so quite directly. Those who were filled with His Spirit would lose their ability to choose, and would simply do that which was objectively best – perfect and discernably holy from that point forward for all of eternity. He could also control us indirectly, by simply telling us what He wants us to do, giving us clear, immediate answers to all the questions we ask Him in prayer. Because of the brightness of His glory, we would have no real choice but to obey. Remember, Yahweh does all things perfectly; if that was the best system, then that is precisely what would be happening right now.
But for some reason, our Creator had determined that it is better, actually better, that prayer and guidance work the way that it does. We will understand the fullness of His reasoning in the ages to come, but we can know enough of His reasoning now, from His Word.
Here is a passage that is often used as a “bad example” of communication with Yahweh: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And Gideon said unto God, ‘If Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said, behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said.’ And it was so, for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.” (Judges 6:1, 36-38)
We sometimes read passages like this and conclude that it is bad, or somehow inferior, to ask for signs that our understanding of Yah’s will is correct, and our choices in line with His desires. The thought might be something like, “If we really knew Yahweh, we would understand His principles so well we would not need any signs we are doing the right thing.” I think that while there is some truth to that idea, and it sounds good “on paper,” that isn’t always practical – at least, it isn’t always enough. Yahweh honored Gideon’s request. Even though yes, He meets people where they are, if it was sinful, or corrupt, to ask for assurance, the divine character could not have facilitated the least shade of evil. This is not to say that we ought to become dependent on the presence of supernatural signs; Satan himself can easily overcome those who have a tendency to superstition, and the best signs are those that appear naturally as an effect of our actions so that we may learn from them. If there is no clear way forward, though, there are times our Father may reveal to us something to provide necessary guidance.
Sometimes it is not easy to apply the principles we know to the decisions we have to make. Daniel prayed openly in his window, in defiance of King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree. (Dan 6:10) Gideon, the judge at the core of this incident, “threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites,” (Judges 6:11) who had invaded Israel. Despite this apparent difference in the way they expressed their faith, the Angel of Yahweh referred to Gideon as a “mighty man of valor” in the very next verse following the one quoted here.
This world is a complicated place, and our enemies are smarter, stronger, and far more experienced than any mortal being can be. We are susceptible to weariness, to pain, to ignorance, and to being deceived. We pray for, and know, that our Father protects us from these things through the constant and mighty ministry of angels, but the choices that we make are still ours, coming from the mind of Christ, but expressed through these fragile and limited brains. That is one of the things that makes them beautiful, and reveals that a creature, even when perfectly free, may still love Yahweh and honor His Law. Not for compulsion. Not for the anticipation of reward, or the fear of punishment, but because of the love of righteousness, mankind – in cooperation with the Father and Son – succeed where even Lucifer, the mightiest of the angels, failed. That is the conclusion to The Great Controversy.
Our choices, our decisions, made in cooperation with, but not under the control of, our Father, answers that great question.
In practice, I believe that our prayers best serve Yahweh’s purpose when we do not ask for, or expect, a voice from Heaven to tell us what to do in any direct manner. The balanced approach, while obeying the Law and honoring the covenant, is not even to expect Yahweh to tell us what to do through a prophet or fellow member of the Church. Our Father is not trying to control us, either directly or indirectly. He wants us to make choices, truly to make them according to our own free will, that will honor Him by being who we are in Him, not who we think He wants to be in us. Yahweh is cooperating with us, not driving us. He is training us, preparing us to be His ministers in Heaven, and to serve the universe as He would.
When the principles are not clear, or the circumstances do not lend themselves easily to a solution, rather than asking for an answer directly, it is best to pray for wisdom to recognize signs of our Father’s favor.
Paul writes, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of Yahweh; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col 1:9-12)
The prayer is not that they will never have questions, or difficulties, or perplexities again, or receive immediate answers to their questions, but that they will have wisdom. Because they have wisdom and spiritual understanding, the saints will know Yahweh’s will, and because they know His will and are of a converted Spirit, they are fruitful in every good work, and reveal the glory of Yahweh to the world. This is how it is, willing cooperation, not irresistible control. It is guidance, but not possession. Again, James writes, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
Yahweh gives “all men” wisdom “liberally,” without restriction, openly, unwaveringly. There is never any question about the answer to this prayer, regardless of who one is, or the circumstances in which one is found. This is always the correct prayer for every occasion when we find ourselves without sufficient wisdom to know what to do. Are you uncertain that the voice you are hearing is Yahweh? Pray for wisdom. Yes, read the Word. Yes, consult the brethren, but above all, in order to be both obedient and free, pray for wisdom. Then you will be able to reason properly from cause to effect. Then you will be able to understand the balance between our Creator’s intervention and the influence of providence on the universe. Then you will be able to be both confident and correctable, certain you are walking in the truth, and willing to be guided into an ever more perfect way. Again, I am not saying we should pray for extraordinary signs, or strange occurrences. I am not saying we should be casting lots or rolling dice and expecting the numbers to tell us what to do – that would just be another form of control.
What is best is that we are granted wisdom to understand how the eternal principles of Yah’s Word apply to our choices. What is best is that we are given eyes to see the signs of natural evidence, and recognize the consequences of our actions. What is best is that we listen carefully to the teachings and advice of our covenanted brethren, and use that to guide our thoughts toward righteousness in ways of which we were unaware before. When we do this, we become powerful and always-growing servants of the Most High. We are not controlled, even by the Almighty God, because He created us to be free, and to find our highest fulfillment in the willing service and worship of our Lord. This we can never be if He dictates the answer to every question, and imprints upon us the perfect words to write or to say, and keeps us from those “errors” that may be necessary for our growth. We must be our own, set free by Yahshua to be “free indeed,” or we can never be truly His.
That is what it means that He loves us. That is what it means that He gives us always what we need according to His infinite wisdom. That is what it means to be a saint of Yahweh, and through which the teaching of Yahshua is fulfilled: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” (John 10:27, 28)
May the claiming of this promise, and the belief in these words uttered by the divine authority of our Savior, settle the question forever of Whose voice we hear, and Whose mind we have received.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as if we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe we would open God’s Word and with what earnestness we would search its precepts. The reading and contemplation of the Scriptures would be regarded as an audience with the Infinite One.” [The Desire of Ages, p. 536]
“Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon and bless them while they are trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit and separates the soul from God. Whatever may be the ecstasies of religious feeling, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine law. God will honor those only who honor Him.” [Counsels for the Church, p. 51]
“There have ever been in the church those who are constantly inclined toward individual independence. They seem unable to realize that independence of spirit is liable to lead the human agent to have too much confidence in himself and to trust in his own judgment rather than to respect the counsel and highly esteem the judgment of his brethren, especially of those in the offices that God has appointed for the leadership of His people. God has invested His church with special authority and power which no one can be justified in disregarding and despising, for he who does this despises the voice of God.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 163]