As we continue to explore biblical ways to hear God’s voice, I want to offer a lesson of encouragement.  Have you ever heard the Lord’s voice and obediently followed only to find yourself in a place that looked much worse than when you started? Perhaps you have diligently served Jesus and faithfully sown seeds into His Kingdom, but are now facing great loss. If this is you today, I have encouragement: God’s decrease is not His demotion. When your bank account shrinks or you lose friends and relationships you thought were for life, it is not a sign that God is mad at you, that you are being punished, or that He has forgotten you.

In fact, the very opposite is true. Sometimes, as you hear and obey His voice, the greatest growth is preceded by the most severe loss. The decrease will test our faith in a way that forces us to trust Jesus completely, whether we have much or little. In short, it is a type of refining that strengthens us on the inside and prepares us for the abundance that is to come!

My friend, don’t be discouraged if you have heard and followed God’s voice, only to lose what you once had. See this as God preparing you for something better. Just like a tree needs to be pruned to grow stronger, sometimes God removes things from our lives so we can grow. Stay close to Jesus and let Him give you peace, even when it’s hard. Like Job, who lost everything but kept trusting God, don’t turn away from Him. Trust that after every loss, God can bring even more than before.