When Grief Clouds the Truth
In this week’s episode of Redeeming Her with Deborah Larson and Katie Shive, we unpack how the Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of Truth, meets us in our emotional fog. Discerning the Spirit of Truth is the process of learning to hear God’s voice clearly during loss and confusion—allowing the Holy Spirit to transform sorrow into spiritual clarity, peace, and renewed trust. For many women navigating deep loss, the question isn’t just “Why did this happen?”—it becomes, “Can I even hear God anymore?”
Deborah Larson shares a powerful story of a client who came forward with anxiety, isolation, and spiritual confusion, asking, “How do I know if what I’m hearing is from God—or just my fear?” This conversation is an invitation to examine not only the messages we believe, but the emotional tone behind them. Deborah opens up about her own recent season of upheaval—including a death in the family and her husband’s injury—and how these disruptions invited her into deeper discernment, not just deeper stress.
This is where the Spirit of Truth becomes vital. Scripture reminds us that His voice carries peace, not pressure; clarity, not chaos. One key takeaway from the episode is the concept of emotional signatures—the subtle tone beneath our thoughts and beliefs. When the voice inside us is anxious, harsh, or accusatory, it often reveals alignment with a spirit of fear or confusion. But when it’s gentle, honest, and grounded in peace, it points to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23): love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not just virtues—they’re spiritual cues. They help us test whether what we’re believing is aligned with God or shaped by emotional distortion.
In a vulnerable moment, Deborah shares how even justified anger—toward corruption or injustice—can subtly partner with a spirit of death or division when not discerned through truth. Her honesty reminds us that discernment isn’t about right vs. wrong facts; it’s about what spirit we’re in agreement with.
Learning to Discern the Spirit of Truth
One of the most compelling parts of the episode is Deborah’s reframing of Eve in the Garden—not as naïve, but as a spiritually attuned woman who chose reasoning over relationship. The deception wasn’t a lack of intellect—it was a shift away from intimacy. That insight resonates deeply with any woman who’s felt smart, spiritual, and still unsure. Even the spiritually mature need help discerning when pain is present.
If you’re in a season where God feels quiet, where your emotions feel loud, this is not evidence of failure. It’s an invitation. The Spirit of Truth is not in a rush. He will walk with you through confusion, pain, and doubt—with presence, not pressure. You don’t have to figure everything out. You just need to return, gently, to the One who still speaks.
Pause here. Ask yourself: What have I come into agreement with lately? Does it sound like peace—or like fear? The Spirit of Truth doesn’t demand perfection. He offers clarity. One whisper at a time.
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