"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelations 3:20)
I try not to use this forum to speak of myself personally, because God will reach, communicate and speak to each of us in the way He knows He can reach us. But I am sharing my personal testimony, because I am living proof that if you give your life to Christ, God will reveal himself to you and give you confirmation beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are His forever, until the day of your redemption. (II Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30)
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was sixteen, after hearing a sermon by Bishop Cox at the church my family attended in Baltimore, MD. I don't know what made that sermon so much different from the MANY I had heard prior, but that day I went home and confessed Christ with my mouth. (Romans 10:9) That night I woke up from sleeping, and "He" (Christ or an angel I don't know, but definitely a messenger from God) was standing at the foot of my bed, in a white robe, with a gold glow all around him. I was scared (Luke 1:30), and immediately closed my eyes; but then I opened them again, and "He" was gone.
I've had two other specific experiences in my life, where God made His physical presence known to me and delivered me from despair. I don't talk about those experiences too much because they are very personal. But besides these, I've had too many experiences to number of God confirming He's real to me, speaking to me and through me clearly, directing my decisions, providing needs that I hadn't mentioned to anyone, comforting me during difficult times, and on and on.
Following these experiences, I've had a peace and assurance that God is real and that I am saved (Phillipians 4:7). I have not lived a perfect life; I have had good and bad "seasons" (Ecclesiasted 3:1-8); I've gained friends and lost friends, and relationships with family (Matthew 10:35-37). BUT I've held on to my faith and trust in Him; I know He loves me, even when I've sinned against Him; Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8) Let Him in you life today; "taste" His Word, and eat; "...but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
Biblical Application
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.”
And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’”
So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” (I Samuel 3:1-10) "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
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