Mar

5

Listening

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Recently my wife and I were in a restaurant in Atlanta. As we finished the meal the voices and noise around us was distracting. The server came to the table and asked a question. I assumed she asked “how was the food.” When I exclaimed “Good”, my wife and the server looked at me in a strange way. So I replied, “Okay, did I miss the question.” Yes I did. The question was “Do you want dessert” and when I responded so enthusiastically “Good”, the wrong message was sent.

I went to I Kings 19:12 and read that Elijah wanted to hear from God and so He went and stood on the mountain and there came a great and strong wind, but God was not in the wind, and then a mighty earthquake, and God was not in the earthquake, and then a fire, and God was not in the fire, and after the fire a still small voice. God spoke to Elijah as Elijah was still and listened to God.

Today we have people who speak into our lives, heavy rhetoric, the noises of the day and we become distracted from what God is saying to us. The world drowns out that voice unless we find that still quiet place and spend time with God.

John 10:16 and 27 Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and they know me. Oh, to be in that place where we can hear the voice of God. It takes being focused on Him and not distracted by busyness or the noise of the world.

I Chronicles 11:17 we find David encamped in the cave of Adullam in the valley of Rephaim before Bethlehem. This was a time when the camp was filled with the noise of putting up tents, cooking, getting ready for battle, but three of his mighty men were so focused on David that they heard his longing for a drink from the water at the gate of Bethlehem. They went down, risked their lives and brought back the water. David’s whispers came across as commands and they followed.

Today I am growing more and more aware of the need for quiet time and being alone with God so that He can speak into my life and give guidance. Psalm 42 speaks of “a deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” And then we see the noise of the world, the murmurings and the tauntings, but at the end the writer says, my Hope is in God and I will praise Him. You know, no matter what our stress is today and no matter what comes our way our Hope need to be in Jesus Christ and our Focus needs to be on Him in every thing we do. Don’t let the clamor of the world drown out the presence of God. Trust in Him and He will direct us in every way.

No matter what our concerns are today or our stress areas get alone with God and find strength and guidance in His presence.

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