The Highest Authority
"Then Rachel & Leah answered (Jacob), 'Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us. All the property that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.'"
(Genesis 31:14-16)
If you want to read a full-blown soap opera in the Bible, look no further than the Jacob saga from the book of Genesis. (You can find it in Genesis 25:21 through 34:27) Jacob, a twin, tricks both his brother and father (with the help of mom), and has to leave town before he gets whacked. He heads over to his uncle's house, falls in love with his cousin, and gets duped into marrying both of his uncle's daughters. A baby-making spree commences, and 13-children later, Jacob has 12 boys, 1 girl, 2 wives, and 2 other 'baby-mamas'... bringing his entire entourage up to 18. EIGHTEEN!!!
When all is said and done, Jacob is told by God to head home (most likely because he needs to make peace with his brother). Genesis 31:3 is that call. So Jacob talks to his two wives, Rachel & Leah, and they agree with his plan to return home. "Do whatever God has said to you," they respond. Wise advice, indeed. But this raises an important question: how do we know when we've heard from God (as opposed to simply coming up with our own ideas and calling it 'God's words')?
Well, I can only speak for myself. Here's how I've experienced God's "voice" in my life...
SCRIPTURE JOURNALING - reading the bible devotionally (this has been huge in my life!)...
MUSIC - from that which is overtly "Christian," to other music that's just plain good...
WORSHIP - when I gather with a community of believers and lift my heart (and voice) up to God, sometimes I sense God's direction.
PRAYER - I don't always have an immediate response from God. But prayer challenges me to turn things over to God, rather than hold on to them myself.
OTHERS - I love hearing other people "speak into my life" when they know me... especially in small groups!
KAIROS MOMENTS - This is a technique from Discipleship Huddles, which help us process any incident in our lives, focusing on what God might be saying to us.
THE MAGIC 8- BALL - (nah, just kidding on this one)
Learning to hear God speak into my life is of utmost importance. How else can I respond to and live out those admonitions if I don't know what God wants of me? "Now then, do whatever God has said to you." Great advice. That's the highest authority.