GET TOGETHER- The Small Still Voice

GET TOGETHER – The Small Still Voice

Isa 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. (NKJV )Joh 14:17 “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

As I am typing this message out the Holy Spirit is reminding me of how much that Jesus cares about every part of our lives. He has given us the Holy Spirit so that no matter where we go or what we do He is with His children.

I would just like to share with you something that I have shared with several others, about something that happened to J.J. and I over the holidays and some things that the Lord taught us and reminded us of during that time.

Our children really blessed us at Christmas our son Jake and his family gave us a new Bar-B-que grill. Our daughter Jessye wanted to buy me a new pair of tennis shoes. So, we went to Sports Gallery here in Hamilton and she bought me a new pair of real nice tennis shoes.

A friend of ours blessed us by letting us stay at he and his wife’s beach house. We had a great time there. We relaxed and just enjoyed being together and eating some great seafood.

One day it was warm enough to go to the beach. Some wonderful friends of ours had told us about a place that had pimento and cheese hush puppies. So, we went by picked up the hush puppies and carried some other food and headed to the beach.

When we got to the edge of the wooden walkway just before you step on the sand I noticed this was where people were leaving their crocks, flip flops ,and sandals. In my haste in packing, I had forgotten to take my crocks. The only pair of shoes that I carried was the tennis shoes that Jessye had bought me. As I began to remove them, I know now that the Holy Spirit was prompting me not to take those shoes off and leave them there. To be honest my flesh was weak there. I was so excited about getting to the beach and listening to the waves, eating those good hushpuppies, and just relaxing that I neglected the warning and the prompting from the Holy Spirit.

When I went back to put our trash in the container and looked down to where I had taken my shoes off, yes you guessed it. My shoes were gone. The Bible tells us in John 10:10 that the Lord desires to do good for us, but there is one who doesn’t. And his demonic forces can tempt people into being used for Satan’s purposes. Jesus told us this in Joh 10:10″The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Lesson number one listen to the Holy Spirit. He will give us warning concerning the schemes that the enemy has to rob us and to steal from us.

I must admit that it hurt me at first. It wasn’t the tennis shoes. But it was that Jessye really wanted to bless her dad by giving me those tennis shoes. The next time that the Holy Spirit spoke to me about was I going to practice what I preach and teach. Was I going to forgive this person? I did forgive them. I realize that many of you reading this have had a lot of worse things done to you by others than having a pair of tennis shoes stolen. But on the other hand, no matter how serious the offense Jesus has commanded us to forgive those who hurt us. We are told in Mt 6:14,15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

As we traveled to Foley to find me some more shoes J.J. began to pray for the person. Then she began to prophesy that one day we will see the person in Heaven. Not only will they come to us and tell us that they got saved, but that the Lord used them to bring other souls into the Kingdom. We are still praying for that person to get saved and to be used in that way.

That brought back another memory. It is a memory that I am certainly not proud of. I remember a beach trip before I got saved. We had been to a night club. In my drunken and drugged estate, I hung my head out the window of our vehicle and mocked some street preachers who were preaching in an area of that city where there was a lot of partying going on. I believe that they prayed for me. I believe that one day when we are in Heaven, they will tell me “We knew that the Lord would get you.”

One more thing. A dear friend of ours heard about my tennis shoes getting stolen and they bought me a pair of tennis shoes just like the ones that I had. What if I had not chosen to forgive that person. I believe that unforgiveness could have stood in the way of that blessing coming. Because the same Holy Spirit that told me not to leave those shoes there is the same Holy Spirit that put it on that person’s heart to bless me and to give back what the devil had stolen.

In closing always be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and do what He says. Always be willing to forgive others. Pray for those who have hurt you and let God use you as an instrument of blessing to others.

Let Us Pray

Lord, we thank You that You still speak to us through the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen and obey your voice. We thank you that You care about the little things and the big things in our lives. Help us to always pray for those that the evil one has used to steal something from us. We believe that You can save them and use them for your purposes just as You have saved us.

In Jesus Name

Amen

J.J. and I thank you in advance for your prayers, support, and encouragement in the coming year.

Your Friend/Kinfolk

Preston

PS For those in Northwest Alabama our Broadcast Redeeming the Time comes on at 9:30 A.M. AND 9:30 P.M. on Sunday morning and Sunday night. That is on Spectrum Channel 10. In Jasper, I believe it is on TV 16.