Chill Bump Moment

I have had at least two individuals approach me in the past week with a question that haunts many believers.

"How do you know God spoke to you?"

Keep in mind that I am no scholar.  I am just a girl desperate for God's presence and power upon my life.  I know from His Word that He does speak to us.  However, we also have an enemy whose desire is to thwart God's plan for our life.  He will speak to us too.  So...we are back to the question...how do you know that it was God speaking?

He spoke to me this weekend several times.  But one of them was incredibly clear and unquestionable.  I thought I would share it with you.

I came to work last Friday morning.  I was caught up on a lot of things so my primary responsibility was answering the phones.  Between phone calls I found myself perusing the Bible Gateway site.  I love looking at the verse of the day and reading their online devotionals.  (I tend to become a rabid seeker when I am needy for God's encouragement...I don't apologize for it.) 

I clicked on the link for Charles Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" online devotional for Friday, April 27th.

The verse whispered to my soul with unassuming power..."Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."  Psalm 119:49


Now what you don't know is that Shep and I had both been praying for ourselves and each other that God would speak to us about Caroline...yet again.  I know we are pitiful.  But continuing to believe that He is going to heal her without any evidence other than God's promise tends to wear us down.  Especially when day after day, season after season, year after year, there is no change ....at all.

So..do you see how that verse may have encouraged me?

I immediately went back to the Bible Gateway site and looked at it in other versions.  (Try to hold off your knee jerk reaction of calling me a nerd.  I know that I am one.  But this gets good.)

The verse in the devotional was King James Version...the "thy" and "thou" gave it away...

Here is the same verse in other versions:

"Remember (fervently) the word and promise to your servant, in which you have caused me to hope."  Amplified Bible
"Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope."  English Standard Version
"Remember what you said to me, your servant-I hang onto these words for dear life!"  The Message
"Remember the word to your servant, in which you have made me hope."  New American Standard
"Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope." New Living Translation
"Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope."  NIV

Isn't this so cool?  If you have never done this with a Scripture, I urge you to try it.  The slight variations give so much insight to what God is saying.

I remember on Friday thinking that "The Message" version spoke exactly what I feel on a daily basis.

I immediately felt validated.  God knew where I was and how I was feeling.  He directed my path to find this scripture that He had waiting on me.

FAST FORWARD__________________________________________________________
to Saturday night.

Shep and I had been doing housework all day. Even in the midst of wrangling our children we managed to organize and clean out the garage and laundry room.  Fun, I know.  I had not mentioned one thing to him about my scripture find from the morning before.  Sadly, I don't think I had thought of it again.

We had a date planned for that evening.  As I was trying to get pretty he breezed in the bathroom and said, "Hey.  Remind me to tell you a scripture that God used to encourage me.  You need to hear it too."

I said ok and continued getting ready.

Once we were in the car he said, "Oh I meant to show you that verse."

I pulled out my the little bible I keep in my purse. When we pulled up to a stop sign he tried to look it up.  I could tell he was getting frustrated because he couldn't quite remember the verse address.  He said, "All I remember is that it was in Psalm 119." 

I still didn't think about my verse from the day before.

He said, "Look through the verses in Psalm 119. The one God showed me has to do with him giving a word to his servant and causing his servant to have hope."

CHILL BUMPS began to break out on my arms and legs.
 
Finally my mind realized.  It was the same verse God had directed me too.
I found it and read it out loud.  

A knowing smile of God's providence broke out across my face.

THIS WAS GOD ALMIGHTY SPEAKING TO US.  

Two people.
Two different days.
Two different ways.
One powerful verse found its way to us.