14.03.10 - How Can I Know If It Is God?

Over the last few weeks we have talked about partnering with God to deliver miracles into people’s lives – very day miracles – things that demonstrate that God loves people and knows their circumstances and because He cares, wants to do something. Essentially we have been following the book You Were Born For This by Bruce Wilkinson.

Often we have referred to “nudges” - those times when God nudges us and we feel we need to do something for a particular person. Sometimes that might be a very reasonable thought. Sometimes it might be quite frightening. When we talk about “nudges” we possibly all know what we mean: a person comes to mind unexpectedly and we feel we should phone him/her. We spot a stranger while shopping and something tells us we should approach that person. We are in the middle of a conversation and suddenly feel that we should ask a question that might take the conversation a lot deeper.

But should we approach that stranger or might we make fools of ourselves? Should we ask that question or might that seem to be prying too much? How can we know if it is God? That is a question several people have asked me while we have been looking at this topic: How can I know if it’s God?

I am thinking that maybe later in the year we might look at the topic of hearing God’s voice but for the time being let’s consider what Wilkinson says. He talks about five signals that guide a miracle delivery.

We pick up signals all of the time. We read body language. We listen to people’s words but also the tone of their voice. We know what it means if a person beckons enthusiastically or when asked a questions someone’s eyes drop and the feet start shuffling. We know what it means if someone shouts and looks aggressive.

A detective or a counsellor or a salesperson might have been trained to read those signals and understand what is going on. We all read signals to a certain degree but possibly could do even better with training.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could read the signals that God send when He wants us to be involved in a miracle? Can we learn how to do that better? We have talked quite a lot about nudges. That’s the sort of thing. But Wilkinson talks about nudges, cues, bumps, prompts and alerts. God wants to guide us.

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

Can we be more aware of the voice of God; of those nudges, cues, bumps, prompts and alerts?

According to Wilkinson, a nudge is an inner push that directs us towards a person or situation. It is that prompt from God that directs our attention to someone or some need. It might be that we see a person and it is as if God is highlighting that person and we sense there is an underlying reason; we sense that God wants to do something. Or it might be that a person simply comes to mind unexpectedly. It might be a sudden sense that we should do something: pull off to the side of the road; knock on the door of this house; talk to that woman. It might be an urging to do something uncomfortable.

How good are we at identifying those nudges? How good are we at stopping what we are doing and responding to the nudge? If God nudges, it is because He wants to do something. He will follow through on it. There is fruit He wants to see from it – if we respond and don’t ignore it.

A nudge is a signal from God to us.

A cue is a signal from the other person – something that indicates a need. It might be spoken: “I do wish my daughter was in a better place”, “I am so worried about...”, “I should never have...”. It might be unspoken: a big sigh, sudden discomfort, tears. It might be very obvious but it might also be fleeting – just a signal that all is not well. Do we notice those signals? We can practice noticing the cues, training ourselves to listen for words like, “I’m so worried that...”, or “I wish that...” or “I can’t believe that...”

Wilkinson could have called them “clues”. I guess he called them “cues” because they are our cue to do something. They are things that, if we are awake, we can respond to.

A bump is a signal from you to the other person hoping that the response will clarify the need. It might be a question or comment to help us gain more insight. I am not sure why he calls it a bump. Maybe it is like bumping a glass to see what spills out. I wondered if “probe” might be better. A probe is something you send out seeking information. But “probing” has the disadvantage of sounding too intrusive. It is not about being intrusive. It is about very gently seeing if the other person wants to give more information; more clarity. We do it all of the time when we say “How are you?” or “Are you OK?” But you wouldn’t walk up to an unknown couple and ask how their marriage was going!

Just by observation we might already have some information but a bump gives the person the opportunity to talk a little more. You might see an exhausted looking mother with several children and say, “I admire you. You are doing a big job. How do you manage?” It just gives her the opportunity to express some need and you the opportunity to deliver a miracle.

Wilkinson suggests questions like:
• If you could change something about your life, what would it be?
• What are one or two of the biggest problems your family is facing these days?
• If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Bumps should be gentle, inviting and purposeful. The purpose is that you are seeking to be invited into the inner place where a personal miracle can occur – into the person’s heart.

A prompt comes from the Holy Spirit. It is some sudden insight into the person or the situation that helps you know how to proceed. Do you remember the story of Jimmy who was talking to Nick on a construction site when Nick mentioned that his marriage was on the rocks? That was the cue. Jimmy noticed it and decided to pursue it rather than change the topic. After more conversation he said, “Nick, I really want to help you. What can I do for you?” That was the bump – the seeking more information. Nick said Jimmy could give him some advice about how to save his marriage. Now Jimmy was way out of his comfort zone. Just to buy time, he suggested Nick get something to write on. When Nick returned, Jimmy heard himself saying, ‘Go home and make your bed.” He didn’t know where that thought had come from or what use it was. As it turned out, not making the bed had been a contentious issue in Nick’s marriage. Jimmy couldn’t have known that. That was the miracle but Jimmy had to say those words which had been prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Wilkinson’s last signal is a fear alert. We talked a bit about that last week. It is the type of fear that alerts us to the fact that this is a God-moment where we should exercise faith. Often fear tells us we should not do something. This is the type of fear that tells us we should do it.

Do those signals make sense? Let me tell you a story and you identify the various signals. Call out when you notice one and tell me what it is. Richard left home very early one morning to catch an early flight but in his rush he had forgotten his cell phone charger. He decided to go into the office to get it but, because it was before 6:00 a.m. he knew the alarm would be on. He pondered the time it would take to deactivate the alarm and reactivate it and the potential for it to go off waking the whole neighbourhood and alerting the police and decided to turn around and head straight for the airport. He caught his flight but in another city, while waiting for his next connecting flight, he bought another charger. Then walking the concourse, waiting for that next flight, he prayed, “Lord is there anyone you want me to meet here?"

Walking back towards the shop where he had bought the charger he noticed the salesperson who had served him standing by the shop entrance. He walked past but then he had an unexpected thought: Lord, that’s the lady you want me to talk to, isn’t it? He hadn’t even considered that when he had made the purchase.

So Richard said to God, If she’s still standing there when I go back – which would mean no customers in the shop – I’ll talk to her. She was, so he went up to her and introduced himself. Her name was April. Then he felt a pang of panic. What to do next? He decided to press ahead in faith.

“April, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“If you could wish for one thing from God today, what would that be?”

April’s eyes filled with tears and she explained that she was due to give birth in three months but the doctor had said there was the possibility of serious health problems.

“You must feel very afraid. May I say a short prayer for you right now?”

“Oh would you? I know God sent you.”

Richard asked if she knew the Lord and she said she did. He then said, “I want you to know that I was walking up and down this concourse asking the Lord if there was anyone He wanted me to meet here. It is you, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is,” April said. Richard then prayed for a safe delivery and a healthy baby and said that he would pop in and see how she was when he came back through that airport in a few days.

April said she would love that. “Thank you so much. I know God sent you to me today.”

Richard was elated that God had guided him so clearly and then it dawned on him how God had brought the two of them together. Lord, he prayed, you did not want me to go back to the office to get my phone charger, did You? Thanks for leading me to meet April.

I’d like to read another story. Can we do the same thing: you spot the signals? READ Acts 8:26-40

We come now to Communion. If we are going to deliver miracles into people’s lives, ultimately they need Jesus. But if we are going to deliver miracles we need Jesus. We need to hear His voice. We need His help – especially when we doubt that we are hearing properly or we are afraid to respond. The good news is that God has sent Jesus – for others; for us.

Do you need Jesus to help you be more interested in other people, or to help you be aware of God’s nudges, or to give you courage to respond? Is Jesus inviting you to partner with Him to deliver miracles but, for some reason, you are holding back? In Communion we can meet with Jesus and talk to Him about the areas where we need Him more.