from www.proverbs31.org

From Renee Swope's devotional dated January 18, 2012...

"I want to be a woman who listens to God. But, sometimes I’m not sure if it’s God talking or just me thinking...And if I’m really honest, when I do sense Him whispering to my heart, I’m not always crazy about what I sense He’s telling me to do...Oftentimes, I would seek God for the larger plans in life, convinced that if I figured out what He wanted me to do then I could become the person He created me to be, and fulfill the calling He had for me...Have you ever thought: “If only God would show me what job to take; what man to marry; what church to attend; what ministry to serve in — then my life would be complete and I could trust Him with my whole heart?”  The problem is, sometimes we get a glimpse of where God wants us to go and then assume we know how to get there...Or we get a peek at what He wants us to do and think we know how He wants us to do it. How many times have I made that mistake and then wondered why I wasn’t getting anywhere?  Over time, God has taught me that He wants my spiritual ears more than my spiritual efforts...He wants daily dependence, interaction and intimacy with me. And He is more concerned with my character than what I schedule for Him on my calendar...Like Jesus, we will discover God’s purpose for our lives through dependent hearts that seek to listen to His — day by day, moment by moment. Let’s position our hearts, minds and souls to hear Him speak to us today."