I know we want to experience God. I’m desperate for the fullness of His presence. I want to see Him and hear from Him. I read all the wonderful stories of the patriarchs and their experiences with God and desire the same.

I was excited in the early days. I deeply desired to hear from Him. I opened my ”spiritual” ears, prayed, fasted and purified myself though obedience. Yet, I was disappointed. I had some feelings but no audible voice.

I think my expectations were too high. I read all the stories of the Bible and heard about others’ experiences. This encouraged and mislead me.

Yet now I realize the Bible stories are compressed over time. And many personally told stories are exaggerated.

The Bible records the miraculous. So we conclude it should be that way. Yet God was working with major players under extraordinary events. The time line is compressed so you don’t understand for example that Moses was in Midian for 40 years before the burning bush. Nothing is recorded, just 40 years of work and life. This is common.

There were also a large number of Jews in Egypt waiting. There is no recording of God revealing Himself to the individuals. Of course He may have done things with individuals but who knows?

The New Testament records many miraculous events. But time is compressed and relatively speaking these events are sprinkled over a large period of time and divided amongst many Christians. Also, it is important to note that this was a unique time in History; The birth of the Church.

This gives context to understanding and gives needed balance to what to we should expect. It is unrealistic to expect God to speak through a burning bush and raise the dead through me daily. It is more likely that it would be rare and sprinkled over a life time.

With out-of-whack expectations a lot of manifesting (inventing things) has occurred. We interpret feelings as God speaking and have regular prophesies from “God.” We develop such an expectation that we begin to do things that were never directed by God to do, believing we are being obedient to the “revelation.”

Also, we begin to doubt stories of others. I have found in the zeal of many, there is great exaggeration. With exclamatory language stories are told, with exaggerations, leaving out information and sometimes adding some to make a “real cool” story designed to evoke “Wow!” But generally we are left to doubt or if we are gullible we retell the story with our twist.

I’ve personally become skeptical of most stories I hear from Christians. I’m less likely to believe a Christian than many non-Christians due to what I’ve mentioned. In our spiritual mode and desire we can be highly suggestible and fall into emotionalism.

With this misinformation distributed throughout the body it causes a lot of confusion and despondency. With the whole story untold and a few “amazing” events advertised we get the wrong idea. People think “Why doesn’t He speak me when others seem to have a hotline?”

Why doesn’t he speak to me? Why are there so many miraculous events in the Bible but not in my life? Our stories seem small. If you are not a personality that exaggerates and you’re a balanced person, you recognize the spiritual event but do not elaborate strangely, drawing attention to yourself.

So, I wish the exaggeration and hyper-spiritual communication would stop. This is so we can appreciate what God is really doing un-obscured by the fog of misinformation and exaggeration.

Now, God leads His people. The Holy Spirit resides in and guides each believer. It may not seem miraculous. He is using us in each gifting but It happens in seemingly ordinary ways. With the Word as our guide and full of the Spirit he uses us.

For example, when I direct someone in accord with the Bible as it relates to an individual. This may vary between teaching to the prophetic. Healing may occur through the laying on of hands or words that set people free from some mental/spiritual bondage.

It can seem rather ordinary. If you are regularly involved with people it doesn’t seem so miraculous. One event blurs to the next.

Visions, dreams, prophetic words, and a sense of the Holy Spirits leading can be managed responsibly. Each is measured by the Word of God. Then we still do not know for sure God is speaking. Maybe! I take these potential directings and hold them loosely. In time God may bring confirming events; Divine appointments, Divine events and other leadings.

With this in mind I may move in a certain direction. Even this is done with an awareness that it may not be God. In time I may have a greater sense of His directing by confirmations.

I have had spiritual dreams. They are not frequent. I can remember four over 23 years. They were all confirmed. But most weren’t any more than a dream.

I have been lead and had it confirmed also. In addition, I have been lead clearly and it lead to disaster, or at least from my perspective. God may see it differently. But all these had plenty of confirming information.

Many people I’m around have feelings and call it the Holy Spirit that cause havoc. They’re told to do what ”God has laid on their heart.” If they do not, God won’t direct them again. Not until they do it will He continue to speak to us. This causes a strange bondage to feelings and voices in the mind.

Others prophesy in Jesus name and send people on a rabbit trail.

We are subject to these mis-directions because we are eager for His leading and the miraculous, believing-without question-people who say they are speaking for God. Sometimes it is because we do not know God or the Bible well, think the miraculous should be happening regularly, and are convinced any random thought or feeling that seems spiritual is from God.

We have a lot of freedom in Christ. We can do what we want, acting in accordance with love for the advancement of His cause. And sometimes He directs us more specifically.

Perfect love casts out fear so we can be bold. It is like the Master who tells us to work in the field. We grab up an implement and go to work. If He wants something more specific or different He will show us. You do not have to worry or strain too hard. He’ll give all the direction and confirmations necessary for us to know.

The Holy Spirit is always directing even if it doesn’t seem exciting or powerful. But it is always real and never conjured.

^{All Rights Reserved}