Years ago when our son, Jonathan, was just a year old, we had just moved into a new house. All week long as we were unpacking and getting settled in, we had servicemen coming in and out. One afternoon, I put Jonathan down for his nap in my bedroom downstairs and went upstairs to unpack some boxes. After a few minutes, I remembered that a repairman was supposed to call me to schedule an appointment, but my phone was down on the kitchen table. I didn't want to stop what I was doing and the appointment wasn't really that urgent, so I thought, "Oh well, if I miss his call, I'll just reschedule later." But then the thought came again, and I felt a strong impression inside, "Go get your phone off of the kitchen table." I tried to reason it away, but it wouldn't go away. Then another thought came, "If you take care of it now, you won't have to do it later." Well, I finally walked downstairs to get my phone, and as I came around the corner, there was a huge ball of smoke and a fire in the middle of my kitchen! I was shocked; but thankfully, I had a fire extinguisher and was able to put out the fire.
I can't even imagine what would have happened if I would have ignored the Spirit of God on the inside. God knew exactly what it would take to get me to go into the kitchen. What if He would have brought the thought to my mind, "There's a fire in your kitchen?" I would have thought, "Nah, that's silly!" or "Get behind me, Satan!" I probably would have thought it was just me being overtired and paranoid. But God knew how to reach me, and it taught me more about how to trust His still, small voice.
I want to encourage you today to listen when you feel that prompting of the Spirit on the inside. So many people wonder, "God, is this You or is it just me?" Well remember, as a believer in Jesus Christ, God is in you. If the thought is reasonable and right, do it! If it lines up with the Word of God, do it! Whether it's helping someone, sharing an idea, or even getting your phone off of the kitchen table, God knows how to lead you. He doesn't speak to everyone in the same way and learning to hear Him for yourself is a process. Sometimes we make mistakes, but He is a patient teacher and knows how to get our attention. Trust Him because He will teach you to hear His still, small voice.
"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'" (Isaiah 30:21, NKJV)