Luke 22:38
And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Are you hearing with spiritual ears?

Jesus and the disciples were going to travel after the Passover. They knew the road they would travel on could be dangerous because of robbers and wild animals. Jesus said two swords would be enough. For the disciples, two probably did not seem to be enough at all. Maybe they had a memory lapse and forgot all the miracles Jesus performed. This could be a wonderful theological discussion. However, the point here is Jesus was all they needed. The sword was for Peter in the garden, not to protect them along the way.

When the Lord speaks to you, you have to understand the spiritual in order to act in the natural. If you don’t recognize the spiritual aspect, you can run into problems because you try to process what He said from a natural perspective.

Mark 15:29-32 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. (New King James Version NKJV)

Jesus made what seemed to be an outrageous claim; at least to those who weren’t listening with spiritual ears. His claim that He could rebuild the temple in three days referred to His death and resurrection (John 2:20-22).

In your life, is it possible you heard a word from the Lord, and it is not being fulfilled in the way you thought it would? If so, open your spiritual ears and ask Him to let you hear the spiritual reality.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. 13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition AMPC)

God loves you enough to deal with from a place you can understand; just as Jesus taught through parables. When the Lord speaks, however He chooses to speak; take the time to go back to Him for clarity.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15a But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 15 But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things]. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition AMPC)

When you take the time to ask the Lord, you keep yourself from missing what He is doing in your life. Time spend in prayer and meditation will settle your heart and mind. You will have a sense of peace about what He wants you to do; how He wants you to do it; and most importantly, when He wants you to do it. When you are sure, remember you don’t have to fight. What He has spoken is already done.

Please agree with me as I pray:

Father, there have been times when I heard You and mishandled Your intentions. I repent for running with what I heard before I took the time to get clarity from You. When I remember those events, I’m grateful for every moment I spend building my relationship with You now. I know I have to meet with You in prayer, meditation and worship, in order to be directed by You. You continue to teach me based on who You are, who I am, what I’ve experienced, and what I’ve learned. The clarity comes from being in Your presence. Help me not to move, speak or do anything because I think I heard from You; until I come back to You to get instruction on what to do with the word You spoke. When I know how to respond to Your direction, You can use me. When I wait for Your guidance, I receive power that will break yokes in my life and in the lives of those You have assigned to me. When I move without clarity, I make a mess…

————

Ask the Lord what He wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal His response as described here.