Come Up Here And See

When I think of my everyday travels, I immediately think of the make, model and year of the car I want to ride in. Is the car dirty inside and outside? Is the vehicle beaten up with no brakes? Will I feel every bump in the road? Does the automobile provide heat in the winter? Do the windows open or close? Does this horseless carriage provide the Maps app for people who get lost easily, even in their home city? Since I love red I will deeply consider the colour and unfortunately to this day, I have never had a red vehicle. Another significant financial factor is the cost of insurance for my selected vehicle.

Several factors influence the journey of travelling from one location to another. The Word of God tells us that “faith comes,” indicating that faith has a process of reaching me. This raises the question: how does faith arrive and make those steps to journey to me? God provides an answer, as He is always reliable in His responses. He teaches me that my ability to listen can either nurture or hinder the growth of my faith.

• Romans 10:17 NASB So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

For faith to come to me, I must hear the Word of God. The Will of God is revealed in the Word of God because Jesus is the Word. When I pause about this truth I ask myself how do I hear? The best question do I listen to the Word of God? 

What do I allow myself to hear? Am I choosing wisely in my hearing? Do I listen to songs proclaiming the truth about God or am I choosing the opposite? The news coverage that I allow myself to hear affects my faith and beliefs. Does it allow faith or panic to make that journey to me? 

Do I take the time to listen to the Holy Spirit? Do I value His voice and know He wants to speak? Have I surrendered each part of my hearing to Him even in my night sleep asking for dreams and visions? When I hear Him wooing me to get up and read in the night or even earlier than I want in the morning. Unfortunately, I have not always been obedient to pull myself from my sleep to get up and spend that valuable time with Him. 

• Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

All our heart is our mind, knowledge, and thinking and this is our hearing. Jesus tells us to align our hearts to His will revealed in the Word of God. We need to hear the Word of God, surrender to the Lord and obey Him.  When we do that Jesus calls us His sheep and we are blessed. Oh my goodness, blessed meaning favoured. 

• John 10:27 AMP The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. 

• Luke 11:28 ICB But Jesus said, “Those who hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the ones who are truly blessed.”

The Bible gives examples of saints hearing the Lord and moving forward in their faith journey. 

Abram heard the Lord to leave his country. He was obedient to make that journey and it was counted as faith. Faith made an actual journey that we see Abe’s footsteps and it is no different with us. It does not matter the size of the step but each step of hearing and obeying proves our faith journey. 

Testing often occurs when we seek to hear God’s voice. A powerful example of this is found in the story of Abraham when God tested him by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham did not argue or question God; instead, he rose early the next morning to begin that journey. When Isaac questioned his father about the intent of the sacrifice, Abraham provided one of the most significant responses in our lives: “God will provide,” referencing the Lord’s name, Jehovah Jireh.

Moses made the journey of leaving Egypt and passing through the Red Sea without fearing Pharoah’s wrath. From Genesis to Revelation there are truths of those who made the journey of faith because they heard and obeyed God. 

Hebrews 11 is the great chapter of faith in the Bible with great inspiration for us. The Complete Jewish Bible describes faith as trust. Our trust and obedience to the Lord will always prove our faith. 

Regrets in my life have come because of being disobedient to the Lord in one way or another. At the opposite end of the spectrum are times of joy when I have trusted, obeyed and journeyed by faith to God. 

Four times the Lord told me to run for political office. My reward was not that I didn’t win the races but that I was obedient. Peace, faith, and trust made the passage to me in overflowing amounts because I obeyed. I was not qualified as others but stood for God’s righteousness and the peace I walked in was amazing. 

When I trust God is who He says He is I will follow His voice.  I will treasure His commands and be obedient. When I do this I am His friend, His voice will be easy to hear knowing I live within Him. His Word tells me that if I do not have faith I cannot please God so I must tune my ears and heart to hear God. 

• John 15:14 AMPC You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.
• Isaiah 30:21 ICB If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you. It will say, “This is the right way. You should go this way.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:7 CJB  for we live by trust, not by what we see.

• Acts 17:28 AMPC For in Him we live and move and have our being
• Hebrews 11:6 ICB Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him.

As I continue to read God’s Word and be obedient faith will flourish. His voice will be more recognizable to me, my life will be a witness to others of the kingdom of God. Be encouraged my friend to honour the Lord and His Word. 

I need to read the Word of God out loud and slowly so I can truly absorb and understand it better. This process also creates space for the Holy Spirit to speak to me, to pause me, and to convict my heart. There are many times when the Holy Spirit touches me in such a way that, if you were to ask what was happening, I wouldn’t have an answer.

One example occurred last Christmas when my husband and I were staying at my daughter’s home. One morning, I was reading Hebrews 9 and 10 out loud in one corner of the recreation room, albeit quietly. Tears began to run down my face, and I found myself needing to grab some tissues. Meanwhile, my four granddaughters were playing at the other end of the room. Sophia, my eight-year-old granddaughter, came over with a serious expression and asked, “Gran, do you always cry when reading the Bible out loud?” Her question made me laugh, and I could only respond, “Let’s ask Grandfather.”

What was happening as I read those two chapters out loud was that I was allowing faith to journey into my heart and do a work in me. That is the power of God’s Word and its incredible beauty.

In 2025 my prayer for all of us is that we will allow the Holy Spirit to tenderize our hearts with the Word of God and we will listen to His precious Word. 

Holy Spirit, thank You for constantly speaking and not giving up on us. I pray that as we spend time reading Your Word your commands will become sweeter every day to me. Thank you for showing me how to listen to Your precious voice. Lord, I know that You are real and I want to be pleasing to You, in Jesus’ name. 

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Check out my YouTube site at “comeuphereandsee.ca”

Photo Credit to Daniels Joffe