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“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33
Early one spring, two of my young friends and I went fishing in Bear Creek. I had never been trout fishing before, so it was a new adventure for me. We were using a little gold hook and a single salmon egg for bait. As my friends began to fish, suddenly one of them yelled, “I just had a strike.” I replied, “What is a strike?” Someone explained to me that a strike is what happens when a fish bites at the bait. This was all new to me, but as I kept fishing, I started learning just how my line would feel when the trout struck the bait. Initially, it was challenging to discern between a real strike and simply hooking onto some obstacle in the water; but with time and experience I learned to recognize a strike when I felt it.
Recognizing the leading of the Holy Spirit can also be challenging for those who have little experience hearing His Voice. Sometimes individuals are confused about whether God is leading them in a particular direction. A big part of the confusion comes from trying to discern whether or not it is the Holy Spirit speaking. The devil knows that confusion is discouraging, so he puts obstacles in our way to mislead us. Just as a snagging rock can be mistaken for a strike from a trout, the devil would like to disguise his voice enough for us to listen and consider what he is saying.
Our focus verse says that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. He does not want us to be confused in our walk with Him. In fishing, strikes happen randomly, but the Lord is not random. He is always ready to lead us when we are willing to listen and obey. If we are confused, we can turn to His Word and the counsel of faithful elders for guidance, as well as spending time in prayer listening for His voice.
God is faithful to each one who is willing to seek His guidance and follow. He has promised us peace instead of confusion. At all times, we want to be listening for the message the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts. The more time we spend listening for His voice, the more readily we will recognize it when He speaks.
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