How to Recognize God's Guidance: Discerning the Holy Spirit | Part 3
Download MP3Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine encouragement. This is Joy In Every Step with your host, beloved preacher, retired teacher, and faithful servant of the Lord, Elder Sarita Bernadette. Long before podcasting existed, a promise was spoken. That one day, Sarita's voice would bring comfort, clarity, and understanding through the word of God. Years later, when God opened the door, Sarita took the next step in faith.
Introduction:What began as a leap of faith has become a weekly invitation to walk more closely with God, discover the joy found in his word, and receive fresh revelation for every step of the journey. Whether you're walking through the valleys or standing on the mountaintops, Sarita's heartfelt messages will guide you back to God's promises with wisdom, warmth, and the gentle reminder that he cares deeply for you. So open your heart, settle your spirit, and take the next step in faith with Joy In Every Step.
Sarita Bernadette:Hi. I'm Sarita Bernadette, and welcome back to Joy In Every Step. I'm glad you're here. Last week, we went into depth about God's guidance. We know that God guides us through His word and in worship and in prayer.
Sarita Bernadette:Romans eight fourteen reminds us, for all who are led by the spirit of God are children of God. Beloved, we are recognized by the inward guidance and active influence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. So we zeroed in on what is called the divine or holy nudge. My last words from the last episode were, God will direct our path when we seek him. Pay attention to the nudge.
Sarita Bernadette:You'll recall the nudge referenced is that internal urging, that deep instinctive feeling or even quiet conviction from the Holy Spirit. It might be just a quiet thought that creeps in and lingers. It can be a confirmation of some sort, sudden a supernatural push or pull. Maybe it's a whisper. You know, that still small voice?
Sarita Bernadette:Yes. It could be a fresh idea or an insight that comes to your mind. It could also be a feeling that shakes you up just a little bit. When it comes to nudges from the Holy Spirit, we suggested that one ask questions to verify and clarify, if you will. We want to make sure that what we're sensing is truly coming from God, and we want to be clear about what we're hearing.
Sarita Bernadette:In that last episode, we presented some questions one could ask when trying to determine whether or not the nudge is something you should act on. Here they are again with some scriptural support. First, does the nudge match the character of God? We know our God is love and mercy. We know that He is just.
Sarita Bernadette:We know that He is truth, we know that He is holy and He is light and God is faithful. So love, love, love is part of God's character, his essence. First John four and eight, whoever does not love does not know God for God is love. Is the nudge you're sensing coming from a place of love? Simple question to ask, beloved.
Sarita Bernadette:Then mercy, Lamentations three verses 22 through 23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Sarita Bernadette:Because of God's loyalty and His unbreakable covenant love for us, His divine mercy continues to flow toward us. It flows toward us in spite of our flaws, beloved. God's compassion is not a limited resource that wears out over time and it doesn't depend on our performance. Each day offers a fresh supply of grace from God. Yesterday's shortcomings don't dictate how much we get from him today.
Sarita Bernadette:Then does the nudge come from a place of mercy? Does it come from a place of mercy? Great question to ask yourself. He is a just God. Deuteronomy thirty two and four.
Sarita Bernadette:The rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God without deceit, just and upright is He. God's judgment is free from human bias and corruption. He defines what is fair and what is right. He's righteous and honest in everything that He does.
Sarita Bernadette:So does the nudge align with justice? God is truth. Psalm thirty three and four, For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. God's commands, promises, and revelations are honest, and they're mistake free. His speech aligns completely with reality and absolute truth.
Sarita Bernadette:He doesn't just speak the truth. He backs it up with steady action. When we say that God is truth, we acknowledge that truth itself proceeds from his nature. John sixteen and thirteen reads, when the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. The Holy Spirit guides us into truth, and he illuminates the way forward by working in conjunction with the Father and the Son.
Sarita Bernadette:The Holy Spirit acting as an inner guide reveals spiritual truth and clarifies God's word. So does the nudge align with the truth? Beloved, we serve a holy God. First Samuel two and two, there is no holy one like the Lord, no one besides you, There is no rock like our God. The Lord is set apart from anything and everything that is unclean.
Sarita Bernadette:He is utterly pure in His character. Does the nudge align with His holiness, beloved? And remember God is light. John eight twelve. Again, Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world.
Sarita Bernadette:Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. And John one:five, The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overtake it. God is the sole source of divine truth, salvation, and moral direction. He is the totality of goodness and perfection. He is the one who rescues us from spiritual blindness.
Sarita Bernadette:The darkness of this world can never extinguish his light. And God is faithful, so faithful. Psalm thirty six and five, your steadfast love, oh Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. God's love is infinite and boundless. It's impossible for humans to measure it or exhaust it.
Sarita Bernadette:Aren't you grateful for that? He is 100% reliable, unchanging, and fully committed to keeping his word and covenant promise. He loves us, beloved. Next question. Does the nudge align with the truth of his word?
Sarita Bernadette:Psalm one nineteen verse one sixty. The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever. That verse declares that the whole of God's word is completely true, not just in parts or pieces or select themes or the parts you like, but from Genesis to Revelation. It says every single divine law is accurate and binding. God's laws don't shift or expire like human laws and cultural trends.
Sarita Bernadette:Another question to ask is, does the nudge glorify God or does it glorify you? First Corinthians ten and thirty one reads, so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. That verse commands that every action, whether it's service or a daily task, It it should all point back to God, beloved. Matthew five and sixteen reminds us to let our light shine before others so that they may see our good works and give glory to our father in heaven. And has the nudge been persistent?
Sarita Bernadette:Has it been hanging around for a while? Hebrews four and twelve. Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Beloved, God's message is not some stale outdated book.
Sarita Bernadette:It's vibrant and always working. And like the blade of a surgeon, it cuts through our human rationalizations and excuses and even self deception. It reaches deep into our innermost being, separating the superficial from the spiritual. It will bring to light the real reasons behind our actions. God sees far beyond what we choose to allow the world to see.
Sarita Bernadette:Yet another question is, do you feel peace about the nudge? Philippians four:six-seven. This is from The Voice. Don't be anxious about things. Instead, pray.
Sarita Bernadette:Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests. So talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. And know that the peace of God, a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding, will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the anointed one. There's a special brand of peace that comes when we turn our worries over to God.
Sarita Bernadette:It's one that transcends or passes all understanding. That doesn't mean the problem disappears, but any internal unrest that we may be experiencing gets replaced by a steady calm. Lastly, have you experienced something that confirms the nudge? Psalm 37 verses twenty two and twenty three. The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
Sarita Bernadette:He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. The Lord actively guides and supports those who are in fellowship with Him. And He takes pleasure in the relationship that He has with us. When we seek to live our lives according to God's will, He watches over our journey and He rejoices as we make progress.
Sarita Bernadette:He is always holding us by the hand. God directs our steps and He will confirm the nudge. Proverbs eleven fourteen. Where there is no guidance, a nation fails a nation falls, rather. But in an abundance of counselors, there is safety.
Sarita Bernadette:This verse reminds us to seek wise counsel when we're unsure of our direction. It's okay to ask for help, beloved. Again, Isaiah thirty and twenty one from The Voice. Your ears will hear sweet words behind you. Go this way.
Sarita Bernadette:There is your path. This is how you should go. Whenever you must decide whether to turn to the right or the left. God promises His divine guidance, consolation, and even recalibration when we go off course. Recognizing His divine or holy nudge takes practice.
Sarita Bernadette:Beloved, take the time to quiet the noise and study the Scriptures. This is Joy In Every Step. I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'm grateful you chose to spend some time here with me. Feel free to share this episode with someone you know would appreciate it. You can find Joy In Every Step wherever you listen to your podcasts and do give us a follow there.
Sarita Bernadette:Check out the website at joyineverystep.org. See you next time.
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