Isaiah 30:21
Maybe you feel like God told you, “That person is the one for you.” But what if you’re wrong? How will you know if you misheard God? Or maybe you feel like God said, “You should move on and stop waiting.” But what if you should keep waiting? How will God confirm that he really does not want you with that person?
God never sends confusing signs. God will never tell us something unclear. However, as imperfect people, we often misinterpret the signs God is sending. Therefore, in humility, it is always wise to seek confirmation to make sure you are actually following God’s will.
Here are 4 things God will often lead you to do so he can give you confirmation about a relationship.
1. To Receive Confirmation, God Will Lead You to Wait and Give It More Time
Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”
Time is a great revealer of truth. Lies can flourish when tested by only a few moments. But when you test something over a considerable period of time, the truth eventually comes out.
Therefore, when you want to know the path God has for you, patience will always be required. Yes, you will need to take action steps. Yes, you will eventually need to make a decision. Yes, you should take authority over what God has placed under your authority rather than waiting for other people to make decisions for you.
However, patience is still needed. Rushing ahead usually leads you into a false way (Proverbs 19:2). Through going slow and waiting for God to reveal his way, oftentimes you will naturally receive the confirmation that you are looking for.
2. To Receive Confirmation, God Will Lead You to Cry Out for Guidance
Isaiah 30:19-20, “For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.”
God teaches those who are prepared to learn (Matthew 7:6). When he knows we are not really willing to receive what he has to say, oftentimes it will feel like God is being silent towards us. However, in truth, God is just waiting for us to be ready to really receive what he wants to say.
One sign that we are ready to hear what God wants to say is when we ask him to speak. Giving counsel to someone who didn’t ask for it usually results in your counsel being ignored (Proverbs 9:8, Proverbs 15:12). Thus, God often waits to give us confirmation until we ask for it in faith (James 1:5-6).
3. To Receive Confirmation, God Will Lead You to Walk Forward with Him While Listening in the Moment
Isaiah 30:21, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
According to Scripture, there’s a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Therefore, there will be a time to wait and then there will be a time to move. In both instances, however, we must always listen.
When it comes to relationships, God will often speak to you through the law of cause and effect. In other words, when you do something (the cause), other people’s responses will give you valuable information (the effect). If you really want to know if a man likes you, you may need to invite him to spend time with you to see how he responds. If you really want to know if a woman is serious about you, you may need to ask her to be your girlfriend to see how she reacts.
The key, however, is to really listen to the Holy Spirit’s personal leading as you walk forward in life. When you are humble and listening, you will hear God say, “This is the way, walk in it.”
4. To Receive Confirmation, God Will Lead You to Forsake All Idols and Be Fully Willing to Accept God’s Decision
Isaiah 30:22, “Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’”
Idols cause us to walk off of God’s path because we are being led astray by the wrong desires. When you are idolizing a person or a relationship, you will be unable to hear the Lord clearly because you will be so attached to only hearing the message you want to hear.
Even if God says what you want him to say, you won’t trust that you are truly hearing God because deep in your heart you will know you are unwilling to hear the other answer if God was to say that. So whether God is saying no, yes, or wait, you have to get to that place in your heart where you are truly willing to follow the Lord no matter what he says.
When you release control and surrender to God, you will hear what the Lord is truly saying.
