Benny Mathew who is a former Indian Army Officer, currently working as a Security Investigations professional at Microsoft and ministering as a pastor at the House of Prayer at Gurgaon, India is a Jesus lover, and husband to Sheeba and father to Jordan.

One of the most prominent issues we face as a believer is hearing God’s voice. Did I hear it from God, or is it me, is this the voice of God or is it just a feeling, is it my emotional quotient or am I hearing this directly from God? These are some of the frequently asked questions to me in the church or in person. Bible speaks about early saints hearing the voice of God and willfully obeying the word and creating history. But recently I was compelled to ask myself this question, do I hear God when I do not see a mountain moving in my life, do I still hear him when the pressure is high and I see the next incident making me collapse?

Joshua 1:1-2 – After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.” While meditating on this text, the Lord drew my attention and helped me learn why God made Joshua wait for Moses’s death before he could take the people into the Promised Land. He was never commissioned as a leader while Moses was alive. Then, he only served as an aide.

Many times you will find yourself stepping into elevation just after an incident which has left you exhausted and devastated. At the next step you will find yourself staring at your breakthrough. The death of Moses was not a small incident for the Israelites. It was an event which lead to mourning for a leader, who had set the pace for their journey from slavery and bondage into a land of joy and prosperity. Moses was the man whom they looked up to as a leader and in their hearts thought will make them step into the Promised Land.

At a time when the people were ready and waiting on Joshua to take over and direct them, God says “Now then”.

Have you ever been in a situation or are you in a state right now where you feel you have lost, but you are hoping for God to come down and hear you and get you out of the circumstances you are fighting with? Is there anything in your life which God wants you to put an end to but you are still struggling with?

Here are some ways to hear him when he wants to close certain issues in your life:

Draw nigh – Bible says draw nigh to him and he shall draw nigh to you. (James 4:8) When you are looking for a way out of the mess in your life, the closest and the only help is God and none else. The enemy will tend to make us move out of God’s presence and move us into fear, a fear that could paralyze the anointing in us. Do not ever let the circumstance paralyze you, instead win over it with the Word of God in your heart and by walking close with him.

Never let communication fail – One of the most critical factors when you are about to step into your breakthrough is constant communication. Be in constant touch with God. Commune with the Holy Spirit daily. Rejoice in the Lord when the pressure is the highest. If you have to cross over you will have to press over. You will have to cross over by going against the current. While crossing over the situation , the problem, the sickness, the tides will be really strong but you will still have to maintain communication with God cause and you cannot afford to be found missing during the advance.

Remember the promise – God will never let you down in what he has promised. If you want to let God do what he has promised to you, you have to be persistent enough to hold on to his promises come what may. In Joshua 1:3, God reiterates the promise he made to Moses, that as I promised to Moses I will get you into the Promised Land. Do not let the situation you are in today, make you forget of God’s promise for tomorrow. Stay connected with the promises and thus stay connected with the vision. It was indeed difficult for the Israelites to believe that that visionary leader is gone, but they never gave up on the vision even after Moses’s death.

Are you going through a season in life where you are finding it difficult to let go off a rejection, a betrayal, a criticism, a denial, a sickness, an injury, a situation where you never wanted to be? If yes, draw nigh to the one who has engraved you in the palm of his hand, the one who has created your heart, to the one who knows what’s going on in your life and to the one who loves you more than you can imagine. Draw nigh to him and he will keep you by his side. Be in constant touch with him and he will be closer than your breath. Dosen’t matter what the enemy makes you hear in your situation, shouts of joy and praise will sound in the tents of the righteous.

When you have been purchased to live a king’s life, don’t ever settle down in slavery!