Spiritual leading often makes no sense to natural thinking. “The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones” (Ezekiel 37:1).
I remember a story a man told me about being led by the Holy Spirit. That one time, he was waiting in a bank line, and there was a small piece of wood on the ground. The Holy Spirit started pressing on him to pick up that piece of wood. It made no sense to him why he should pick up the wood. But the Holy Spirit was relentless, and so he picked up the piece of wood. Then he asked the Holy Spirit, “why did You ask me to pick up this wood”? He heard the Holy Spirit say, “to see if you would.”
Grace saves the man, but it will be in his obedience that the Lord shall entrust him with more. “Someone who is trustworthy in a small matter is also trustworthy in large ones, and someone who is dishonest in a small matter is also dishonest in large ones” (Luke 16:10 CJB).
Always beware of the voice that agrees with your flesh. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…” (Ephesians 4:30).
I remember once when one afternoon the Holy Spirit pressed upon me to take a second long-sleeve shirt to prison when going there for ministry. It seemed like a very odd request. I did not understand the request, but by this time in my faith journey, I just started doing what the Holy Spirit told me to do. I certainly did not need an extra shirt.
Sometimes He asks us to do things to see if we will, and in our obedience, He will show us what His intentions were all along. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
The Lord cannot speak to you unless you listen. “Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me” (Ezekiel 2:2).
You have to be obedient to God to see a move of God. “Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 TPT).
So, I took an extra shirt and went to the prison. I was escorting a man who would teach that night. I had a staff card at the prison and would escort in different people who would come to teach a class for a few weeks on one of the prison yards. We were going through the first of four checkpoints, starting with checking our ID’s, going through metal detectors and verifying our clothing and materials were acceptable.
We don’t need to know the end of His plan to step into it. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).
If you want to have favor with men, then you must walk in obedience to God. The Lord will give you favor with men when it serves His purposes, not yours. “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).
As it turns out, the man I was escorting had worn a bad shirt, it was white with blue stripes on it, and no blue was allowed as the inmates wore that color. Neither of us had noticed as the blue stripes were so thin, but for safety, the Officers could not let him go in. But wouldn’t you know, I had an extra shirt with me! We went out to my car, and he changed into my extra shirt. We were then able to get in, and he was able to teach the class that night.
Walking with God is never how religious you act but how obedient you are. “…When you fasted and mourned…did you really fast for Me—for Me? Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets…” (Zechariah 7:5,7).
When you are obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will never let you down wherever He leads you. It may be something quite small, just be obedient in that small thing. As you go on with God, the more obedient you are, the more He will ask of you. Listen to the Holy Spirit and let yourself be led by God.
Don’t expect that God will make you great if you are obedient, but that He will use you the most when you remain small. Don’t be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit to gain more but to give more. Your obedience not only matters for your life, but also for the lives of everyone around you. Even if you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for them, and your life will be a blessing for the kingdom.
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read. An even better version is the one you live.