God Still Speaks, Personal Directives from God in the Bible

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God Still Speaks

Personal Directives from God in the Bible—and in Our Lives Today

By Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

출처 https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/god-still-speaks/

듣기 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqeJjDN7Y9I

In the Old Testament, the Bible is characterized /by commands: “Don’t kill,” “Don’t steal,”

“Don’t commit immorality,” “Don’t have another god /before the true God” (see Exodus 20:3–17).

These commands never change.

We don’t vote /about them.

We don’t go /by what the culture says.

If anybody gets a revelation //that changes the moral law, we know that they’re false and of the evil one.

Jesus gave [more moral commands] /in the New Testament.

The Old Testament says, “Don’t kill,”

and Jesus said, “If you just hate somebody, you’re a murderer” (see Matthew 5:21–22), and, “Love [one another].

As I have loved you, so you must love [one another]” (John 13:34, NIV).

God’s moral commands are for everyone.

But there’s a whole slew 다량 of commands /in the Bible //that we would call personal life directives.

They’re not for everyone.

They’re just for the person () they were given to.

For example, God told [Noah] [to build an ark] (see Genesis 6:14).

That’s not a moral command.

He doesn’t want [you or me] [to build an ark].

Noah was to build [an ark].

And by doing so, he saved his family.

When God called Abraham, He told [him] [to leave everything and go to a place () He would show him (see Genesis 12:1).

Is [that] [a moral command]?

No. God’s not calling [you or me] [to leave everything today and go to a place //that He’ll show us].

That was /to Abraham.

And it was so important.

Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, got /to the promised land /because of that personal life directive.

When Moses led the people of Israel /out of slavery in Egypt,

God told him, “You will move only as I direct [you] [to move].

During the day you’ll see a cloud, and at nighttime you’ll see a pillar of fire.

When the cloud or pillar moves, you move.

When it stays, you stay, whether it’s for three months, a year, two years” (see Exodus 13:21–22; Numbers 9:15–23).

Was [that] [a moral command]?

Are [you and I] supposed to follow [some cloud] /during the day and a pillar of fire by night?

No.

But at that moment, God gave [Moses and the Israelites] [His personal directives for His people].

There are moral commands, which are for all of us,

and then there are personal directives—commands //that the Lord gives //that have to do /with our personal lives

/so we can be happy and blessed and in the center of His will.

A lot of Christians don’t think /about these things.

They think () Christianity is only about obeying the moral commands of God.

People move, leave their jobs, leave a church, retire early, take off /to live in Pennsylvania

or wherever without a thought of “Is [this] [God’s will]?

Am I listening /to the Holy Spirit?

Am I following God’s plan?”

This sensitivity to God’s leading was normal in the early Christian church,

which we today are supposed to be trying [to imitate and replicate].

Paul, on his second missionary journey, wanted [to push west into Asia, modern-day western Turkey],

to preach the gospel.

But the Bible says () he was kept /by the Holy Spirit /from going there.

Why couldn’t he go?

It doesn’t say.

So Paul tried [heading north to Bithynia instead].

Again, the Spirit of Jesus would not allow him.

Now isn’t [that] strange?

He wanted [to preach the gospel], yet the Spirit kept [saying no].

So Paul and his companions went down /to Troas, completely frozen, not knowing what to do.

When we don’t know [what to do], we shouldn’t do anything.

We should just wait /for God to show us.

That night, Paul had [a vision /of a man /from Macedonia /pleading], “Come over /to Macedonia and help us.”

Macedonia was in Greece—in Europe.

The gospel had never been /to Europe!

Luke wrote that they got ready at once, concluding that God had called [them] [to preach there] (see Acts 16:6–10).

And because Paul allowed [the Lord] [to block his plans], a massive vision unfolded.

The gospel reached Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth,

and eventually spread /across the entire Roman Empire—all because Paul went /where God opened a door.

In the New Testament, the leading of God was fluid. 유동적이고 유연한 상태

The Spirit was moving.

Today we’ve regimented it. (유동적인 것을 비유동적인 체제화/조직화 함)

Corporate America has invaded the church, so everything is organized, including your life and mine.

God has personal directives for every Christian.

He might be saying to you, “Text that person today; he needs a word right now.

Call [that person].

Get alone in your office and pray for him.”

The Christian life is not about how it’s done in America

or where we grew up /in the Caribbean or Poland or wherever.

No, our goal is to read [the Bible] and say, “Holy Spirit, what You did then, do again.”

Too often we just go /by our brains.

We go /by our schooling or (by) how our parents grew up or (by) our culture.

But God is waiting /to direct us to the exact place () He wants each of us to be.

When we’re in the center of His will, there’s no sweeter place /to be in the whole world.

Has [the Lord] stopped [speaking]?

Has He stopped [directing people]?

No. We’re into organizational things, but that’s not the way God works.

The Bible tells [us] [that God still speaks and directs His people].

What is He saying /to you today?

Prayer

Lord, give [us] [quiet hearts to hear Your voice when You speak],

and give [us] [willing spirits to obey without hesitation].

Teach [us] [to listen for Your Holy Spirit today and to follow wherever You lead].

If this encouraged you, you can receive Pastor Cymbala’s weekly blog post by email here.

For More Encouragement

• Listen to the full message of this blog post by Pastor Jim Cymbala: “God Leads Us”
• Be encouraged with other messages from Pastor Cymbala: “The Will of God,” “In Step with the Spirit,” and his devotional book Jesus Every Day
• Visit Pastor Cymbala’s Facebook page