STRONG MEAT AND THE VOICE OF LOVE
 

Strong meat is simply learning how to DISCERN. Discernment is learning how to separate good from evil and then figure out what to do about this.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

WHAT IS DISCERNMENT?

Discernment in the Greek language means judicial estimation, discern, disputation. It comes from a word meaning to separate thoroughly, withdraw, oppose, discriminate, decide, hesitate, contend, make to differ, doubt, judge, be partial, stagger, waver. (#1) So if you wrestle with wavering in what you discern, now you know why. These words describe the process the receiver of discernment goes through!

When the discerner is confronted with something that appears good on the outside, but isn’t, it becomes a stumbling block to his spirit. His flesh sees good signs, but his spirit is disputing, opposing, hesitating, contending, differing, doubting, staggering, and wavering against the outward appearance. Discernment is an internal war as one grapples to line up what they perceive, with Who God is, and what is being offered.

GOD SPEAKS THROUGH A BILLBOARD

One time while driving in the car, I was praying about things I had been trying to discern and still not coming to a stable conclusion.  Discernment is a wrestling process of separating issues like pros and cons. Good and bad.  Sometimes it is a long process and really frustrating.  

As I was still praying, I drove past a new freeway billboard. It said, “Gut instinct. Years of research. Same decision.”  Wow!... that hit me.  I realized that even if I spent years in research and weighing matters, that I would still end up with the same conclusion as just my original gut level instinct told me. 

Rom 2:15-16 NKJV

...who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)...  

Rom 2:15 AMP

They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their [moral] decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend and excuse [them]..

THE VOICE OF LOVE

Throughout the years I have rebuked angels and listened to demons, thrown in the towel and burned rhema, gone on strike, thrown temper tantrums and a number of other things with the Lord regarding learning how to discern! I smiled when recently I heard Sadhu share that in the 80’s he was also rebuking angels and had a devil come to him in the disguise of Jesus!  So I guess I was not alone in my journey of learning how God speaks and how to separate Him from the rest of the “stuff.”

I have gone through many siftings regarding this, and every time I have come out landing on my feet and rejoicing because the Lord Himself allows these things and has decreed me to triumph. I can remember the early visions of my flying where I was creating letters of the alphabet in the sky and I would groan when I would have to go upside down (just as one does with a pen) to bring the loops, etc to the letters!  I did not know then that I would be teaching others how to hear Him.  All those upside down times were siftings where I was very unstable as the Lord continued His process in my  life.

So today as I think back on all my experiences and think about what I have learned, I believe it all boils down to LOVE. If I read something, heard something or saw something (visions, dreams, still small voice, or reading a prophet’s Words) I always screen it first through the Lord’s voice of LOVE. 

Do I feel  or experience His love when I hear/ see / read the Word?  There is something very precious about connecting with His love.  It settles me.  Everything in life around me may be chaos but if I hear the voice of love, I am settled and comforted.  This is a heart matter and not words.  It is not gushy language, it is a literal moment where His love pierces our need and we RECEIVE. 

This week I read 2 stories that really express this well. They are wonderful parables and excellent examples about discerning through the filter of the Lord’s LOVE.

THE PARABLE OF THE HUNGRY BIRDS

From the ebook, Wisdom of the Sadhu, Sundar Singh

(note this godly man was born in the 1800's in India)

Once as I wandered in the mountains, I came upon an outcropping of rocks, and as I sat on the highest rock to rest and look out over the valley, I saw a nest in the branches of a tree. The young birds in the nest were crying noisily. Then I saw how the mother bird returned with food for her young ones. When they heard the sound of her wings and felt her presence nearby, they cried all the more loudly and opened their beaks wide. But after the mother bird fed them and flew away again, they were quiet. Climbing down to look more closely, I saw that the newly hatched birds had not yet opened their eyes. Without even being able to see their mother, they opened their beaks and begged for nourishment whenever she approached.

These tiny birds did not say: “We will not open our beaks until we can see our mother clearly and also see what kind of food she offers. Perhaps it is not our mother at all but instead some dangerous enemy. And who knows if it is proper nourishment or some kind of poison that is being fed to us?” If they had reasoned thus, they would never have discovered the truth. Before they were even strong enough to open their eyes, they would have starved to death. But they held no such doubts about the presence and love of their mother, and so after a few days, they opened their eyes and rejoiced to see her with them. Day by day they grew stronger and developed into the form and likeness of the mother, and soon they were able to soar up into the freedom of the skies.

We humans often think of ourselves as the greatest living beings, but do we not have something to learn from these common birds? We often question the reality and the loving nature of God. But the Master has said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” Whenever we open our hearts to God, we receive spiritual nourishment and grow more and more into the likeness of God until we reach spiritual maturity. And once we open our spiritual eyes and see God’s presence, we find indescribable and unending bliss.

THE WARMTH OF HIS LOVING WORDS

From the ebook, Wisdom of the Sadhu, Sundar Singh

A mother once left her child for a time playing in the garden. When her little son noticed she was not there, he searched the whole garden over. He looked everywhere but could not find her. Finally he cried and called out, but still she did not appear. The gardener saw him crying and tried to calm him, saying: “Do not cry! Look at these beautiful flowers and delicious mangoes. Shall I pick some for you?” But the child answered: “No! No! My mother has better food than these mangoes and her love is far sweeter than all these flowers. I want my mother.” When his mother heard these words, she rushed out, embraced him, and smothered him with kisses. At that moment, the garden became a paradise. This world is like a great garden full of wonderful and beautiful flowers, but we cannot find true joy in it until we meet God.