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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 24, 2010
“I Hear Contradictory Voices”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
I hear a voice.
It doesn’t speak in English, but in feelings.
I heard it early this morning when I began to work on my Bible memorization.
It communicated to me a feeling that I didn’t really want to do it.
Actually, I do want to do it, so where did that feeling come from?
I hear that same voice sometimes when it’s time to work out. It communicates to me the feeling that I don’t really want to work out.
But I do want to work out. I like it. It’s not a “necessary evil” for me. I like everything about it.
So where does that voice come from?
I hear it sometimes when it’s time to go to church. I hear it sometimes about going to work, even though I love my work.
I understand hearing that voice about things that are bad or difficult or distasteful; but why does it speak about good things I actually want to do?
Is it all in my head?
I searched the internet for variations of the phrase “little voice in my head” and got millions of hits, so I guess it’s a common phenomenon.
Now I understand the primary voice inside my head. It’s the voice of my thoughts.
But what is the secondary voice, the contrary voice? My primary voice can counter it, but what is generating the secondary voice?
I realize I’m probably not going to get to the bottom of this. There’s an entire field of psychology devoted to such things, yet we still know very little about them.
One thought I had is that it could be the voice of laziness. I’m not really a lazy person, but there could be a voice of laziness. There is such a thing as laziness. I don’t know if it has a voice, but it is a very real thing inside of us.
So where does laziness come from? Is it a product of our sin nature, our “flesh,” our “old man” as the Bible calls it?
Is this all taking place inside of us, or are there unseen entities communicating in some invisible way?
The Apostle Paul referred to his own internal contradictions in Romans chapter seven. In verses 19 and 20 he said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
At this point I don’t know where the voices come from, but this I do know. There are contradictory voices, and I must choose. I must discern right from wrong, good from bad, wise from foolish.
So how do I decide which voice to listen to?
I believe that our Creator God, our Heavenly Father, is the benchmark for these decisions. I believe there is a rock-steady standard for right, good and wise.
And I believe that there are many pitfalls we must beware of, including these:
Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.
First Corinthians 3:19 says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
Ephesians 4:22 warns us of “the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.”
And Proverbs 12:15 says the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.
These are all obstacles that can prevent us from finding God’s benchmark for what is good and right and wise.
So how do we know which voice to listen to?
Here is what I do. First of all, I spend time seeking the face of God, as the Bible instructs us to do. I draw near to Him, knowing that He will draw near to me. (James 4:8)
I also know that as a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit dwells inside me and will guide me.
I also rely on the Bible. The Word is a tremendous help when weeding out the voices. Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
I also lean on the wise counsel of other people. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he who hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
And when I listen to other people, I listen to what they say, but I also look at their lives. I’m looking to see if they live by their own advice, and if so, how is it working out for them?
So there you go. I’m not sure where all those contradictory voices come from, but I know we must weed them out, and that’s the process I use. I draw near to God, the benchmark for all that is good and right and wise. I listen for His voice from without and the voice of His Spirit from within. I listen to His word in the Bible, and I listen to the wise counsel of other people.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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