"“For even your brothers and the household of your father,
Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.”
Developing discernment in this day and age is a valuable tool. So often we are more concerned about being liked by someone than we are about building quality relationships and honoring God, that we ignore the subtle signs of problem relationships.
Psalm 37:30 "30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just."
Proverbs 1:7 '7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 3:7 "7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil."
When our gut tells us that something just isn't right but we can't identify it, then we need to go to prayer asking God to show us.
Often we ignore that sense that things are not as they should be because we don't see anything blatantly. We walk around on egg shells. When the person walks into the room we have an uncomfortable feeling as though something is wrong, when nothing has happened yet. Perhaps that sense of doom has to do with past encounters when this person has been consistently rude or jealous, sometimes it is a spirit within the person that emanates from them.
We had a German Shepherd dog several years ago, who was friendly and loving to everyone, he never demonstrated any hostility toward anyone ever, except one person.
I was at a laundromat to wash a large quilt that wouldn't fit in my washer at home, the dog came with me. As I was sitting in a chair waiting for the quilt to be finished, a man walked up to me, stood for a moment and just looked at me, he did nothing else except look. The dog got up from his laying position, the hairs went up on his back and he growled a low but intense growl to warn the man. After 12 years with this dog I had never seen him growl at anyone.
There were other people sitting a few chairs away, after the man walked away, they turned to me and said, "your dog didn't like that man, something must be wrong with him." They new my dog was not a mean dog because he had wagged his tail at them and they petted him, he showed no hostility toward the others in the room.
I have lived with animals all my life, one thing I have learned is to trust the instincts of a dog. They can sense things that we would not notice as evil. We might sense something but brush it off as unimportant.
We cannot be as astute as a dog can in many cases, but I am convinced we can train ourselves to be discerning by understanding body language, facial expressions and verbiage that are indicators that we need to be wary of someone.
A dogs sense of smell is 100 times more powerful than ours, perhaps their assessment of spirits is also that much stronger than ours.
I have heard stories of animals that could feel an earthquake long before a human can, their senses are far more sensitive than ours.
As I grew in the Lord over the years I began to be able to hear the Lord when He speaks, often when it comes to the attitudes of people. There have been a few times when God has warned me intensely about someone before I knew anything, only to find out later why God warned me.
God can tell us something is wrong without our ability to see it yet. When this happens it is wise to believe Him, walk away and pray that He re-enforce what He told you. I am always second guessing myself thinking "Lord did I hear you right?" I am never sorry when I do that, it is then that God usually shows me why He warned me, I discover over time what was evil about the person I was warned about.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 "21"But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil."
Ephesians 4:14 "14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;"
These verses are speaking about discerning right from wrong concerning doctrine, however when we become discerning in this it develops wisdom in many others things pertaining to relationships.
Proverbs 15:21
"Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight."
Philippians 1:9-10
"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;"
Hosea 14:9
"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them."
Leviticus 10:10
"and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,"
Proverbs 28:11
"The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him."
1 Kings 3:9
"So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
1 Corinthians 12:10
"and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the DISTINGUISHING OF SPIRITS, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues."
The two foundational principles in all this is to be in continual communication with Christ Who lives in you, while knowing His principles as written in His Word. He will tell us these things when we want to know.
James 1:4-6 "…4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.…"
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