Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
(1 Timothy 1:19 NLT)
Keeping my conscience clear and clinging to my faith is one in the same, for keeping a clear conscience means I must have faith to hear the leading of the Lord so that I may obey, which therefore causes me to cling to my faith all the more so that my spiritual eyes may remain open.
If someone were to ask me if I hear from God my reply would be, “Of course I do, don’t you?” but that’s not because of anything I have done but instead it comes from allowing God’s Holy Spirit to have His way and allowing the insignificant to become small. As I read God’s Word my spirit and soul begin to recognize the character of God, for Jesus said in John 14:9 “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” and as I am faithful to read God’s Word He is faithful to plant seeds of faith in the soil of my heart. With these seeds God’s Holy Spirit points to the little things such as a person’s willingness to forgive or the love someone has for another, for these things would go unnoticed if it were not for the Holy Spirit bringing it to my attention. Someone might say but this only requires being sensitive and listening. Really, what does that sound like? Who allows one to be sensitive and to listen to that which cannot be heard? God’s Holy Spirit will speak to us in a small still voice. Was it not Elijah that stood before the Lord and a mighty wind hit the mountain with terrible blasts even tearing the rocks loose and then an earthquake, followed by a fire? Yet the Lord’s voice was not in these. Then these things passed and Elijah heard a gentle whisper immediately causing him to cover his face because he recognized the holy presences of the Lord (read 1 Kings 19). You see, when you seek after God whole heartedly it is the same as opening the door to Him and Jesus said, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is waiting but so many are unable or unwilling to listen because they are too busy and they have not the faith or time to sit at the Lord’s table long enough to know Him, causing their spirit to remain hungry and empty. Inside each of us is a God-shaped hole and though we try to fill it with different things nothing but Jesus will satisfy its yearning.
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God.
(Psalms 42:1 NLT)
But each day the LORD pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life.
(Psalms 42:8 NLT)
