Tuesday, April 18, 2017

To Hear God, You Must Stop - Look - Listen - And Then Obey



God called to him….And he said, "Here I am." —Exodus 3:4

{CHAMBERS} “When God speaks, many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer. Moses’ reply to God revealed that he knew where he was and that he was ready. Readiness means having a right relationship to God and having the knowledge of where we are. We are so busy telling God where we would like to go. […] Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing— it makes no difference. It means we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready. Whenever any duty presents itself, we hear God’s voice as our Lord heard His Father’s voice, and we are ready for it with the total readiness of our love for Him. […] A ready person never needs to get ready— he is ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready once God has called!”

{ELGIN}  Do you know someone that talks incessantly?  You don’t really don’t ever have a conversation.  You just listen to them talk.  You can’t seem to get a word in edgewise.  That is often how we interact with God.  We are doing all of the talking .. not listening.  Our concept of our relationship with God is that we ask and He does.  The idea of God speaking to us is not even on our radar.  But God does have something to say, if we will only be quiet and listen.  And after we have heard, you must obey.  Our new life should be lived in doing the will of the Father.

(Matthew 12:46-50) “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”” So Jesus was saying that being like Jesus meant obeying the Father.  If you want to hear God you must Stop, Look, and Listen.  That was a saying that we were taught as children about crossing train tracks, but it applies to hearing God as well.  If you want to hear Him, you have to Stop with the business of your life (focus on the spiritual).  Look to heaven in prayer and reading the Word. And then be quiet and Listen for God to speak to you.  And when you do hear God, you must obey what He says .. do the will of your Father in heaven. 

No comments: