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Have you experienced God’s presence and inspiration in your life? Don’t know about you, but God mostly speaks to me early in my day. It might even be the final seconds of my waking as I bat open my eyes, throw back the covers, and sleepily climb out of bed first thing in the morning. Lately, that’s been the time when an inspiration filters through my fuzzy brain the best.  Speaking early in the morning seems to be the Lord’s M.O. for me. At a time before I get too busy. Before other things distract me from His voice or just plain drown it out with the world’s noise. It could be a new poem, or brand new song, or something for my personal journal, but this time, it was something else.

It happened to me, this morning. Another days’ sunshine and the quiet stirring of my husband getting ready for his day, awakened me. As my feet hit the floor and found their way into my slippers, words that had roamed my mind minutes before, suddenly flooded my spirit with an urgency to document them. This time it wasn’t lyrics and music for a new song or the lyrical words of a poem. Instead, it was the clear inspiration for something I needed to add to the book I’m currently working on.

Past experience with inspirations has taught me the importance of documenting it ASAP. Putting it down on paper, computer, or voice memo, is critical to not losing the beauty of what God has placed in my heart at that moment.  To capture the delicate and frequently fleeting essence of His message while it’s still fresh and clear.

These kinds of revelations might be something I sense God wants me to share with others in a post, or through my books and stories, or they might be an answer to my heart’s personal cry. This time it was all of the above, but primarily an answer to an urgent cry. Ironically, just days before this one, I’d found myself wondering why I couldn’t sense the Lord’s presence. Emotions were gushing out from a piece of distressing news I’d received. Over and over, I’d begged God to comfort me with His presence. To hear His voice, only to get silence.

No matter how I pleaded with Him, nothingness seemed to answer. So, naturally, Satan tried to sneak his ugly voice into my heart and fill the void with doubt. “That’s how he works!” I commented to a friend whom I’d confided in. “Satan always places a seed of doubt first. Just like he did in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, when he said: ‘did God really say that you “shall not eat of every fruit in the garden?’”

So, after several days of grieving disturbing news from a loved one, I’d found myself listening to seeds of doubt placed in my mind by the evil one. Do I really know God or am I just naïve and trusting in a deity of my own desires? The barrage of lies shot at me like fiery darts.

Then, feeling refreshed after those inspirational words came to me early this morning, I sat down and opened my Bible for some added spiritual armor. Turning to the Psalms, I re-read Psalm 19 for the second time after receiving the harsh news. And, as He so often does, Jesus gave me new hope. Something  my aching heart had avoided out of protection.  It was a scripture that had touched my heart and caught my attention near the start of the recent devastating news, yet this time it seemed to shout. To speak volumes louder to my need.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, His firmament shows His handwork, Day unto day utters speech. And night into night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.” … “More to be desired are they than gold. Yea, more than much fine gold. Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, moreover by them… there is great reward.”  

So, there it was. God had spoken to me, even more clearly this time, His words coming through the power of His written word. And I knew He had heard my cries and I had heard His voice. God had answered my plea for comfort and hope by revealing His existence and holiness to me twice in one day. The first time it came in the form of an inspiration for the book I’m working on. The second was when I re-read the scripture that reminded me about one of God’s way of speaking to us—through the beauty of his creation of the heavens and all nature.

Later on I expressed this awesome answer to a friend who is new to God’s word and how it solidified my faith in a beautiful way. “Because of God’s timing of hearing God’s voice in my head and when I read that verse, it reminded me of how we need to ‘Be still and know that He is God.’” I added and my friend nodded with affirmation.