For Your Heart Today

When we hear the word discernment, we often think about making decisions, trying to figure out what God wants us to do or which direction He wants us to take. But discernment is so much more than that.

Discernment is how we live in relationship with God. It's learning to recognize His presence, His voice, and His movements in the ordinary moments of life, as well as the big decisions. And just as we learn to recognize the voice and ways of someone we know well, we grow in our ability to discern God as we spend time with Him.

Gideon needed reassurance. Paul and his companions discovered God's direction as they continued moving forward. Both remind us that discernment is a process, one that unfolds as we keep listening, paying attention, and responding to God.

There's something freeing in remembering that God is reaching toward us even more than we are reaching toward Him. We don't have to strive anxiously to hear Him. We can make space to enjoy His presence, bring Him what we're noticing, and trust Him to guide us along the way.

Takeaways

Discernment grows out of our relationship with God.

As we pay attention, we learn to recognize God's presence, voice, and movements, bringing what we notice into conversation with Him.

Discernment unfolds as we continue walking with God, sometimes with the help of others.

Discernment grows through practice and trust in the God who is reaching toward us.

Breath Prayer

Inhale: Lord, I'm listening.

Exhale: I trust You to guide me.

Full Manuscript – Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes