LEARNING TO HEAR

012 – AUGUST 2004

LEARNING TO HEAR

1 KINGS 19:2 “ … BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE; AND AFTER THE FIRE – A STILL SMALL VOICE.”

YESTERDAY, I WAS WALKING DOWNTOWN. TWO TRUCKS DROVE BY IN THE MORNING TRAFFIC … STOPPING AND GOING … STOPPING AND GOING. BOTH WERE UNUSUALLY LOUD AS THEY SHIFTED AND REVVED AND HIT THEIR HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING AIR BRAKES.
MOST TIMES, THIS DOES NOT DISTURB ME. TODAY, IT DID. THE LOUD NOISE WAS LIKE A WRENCHING DISCHORD TO MY SPIRIT AND I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT I NEEDED A QUIET TIME WITH JESUS.

SO, I LEFT THE TRAFFIC AND WENT HOME TO SEEK THE VOICE OF GOD.

I AM LEARNING TO HEAR HIS VOICE MORE CLEARLY. IN THE QUIETNESS OF YOUR SPIRIT LIES THE GUIDANCE FOR YOUR LIFE … ONE DAY AT A TIME … ONE MOMENT AT A TIME. THE TRAFFIC IS UNUSUALLY LOUD TODAY - “TAKE A BREAK.” “MEDITATE ON CHRIST.”

PSALM 46:10 “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD …”

IN THE PAST, A BUSY SCHEDULE WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO LET THIS ALL PASS BY. I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT HE WAS CALLING ME. BUT, I HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST HIS VOICE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE TIMES THAT I CAN BE INTIMATE WITH HIM. MORE THAN EVER, I NEED TO QUIET MY SPIRIT TO LISTEN. I NEED TO BE STILL - IN ORDER TO HEAR.

GOD WILL SPEAK TO US. HE IS NEVER TOO BUSY AND HIS SPIRIT WITHIN US IS NOT SLEEPING. HE IS SUPREMELY AWARE OF OUR NEEDS AND WE NEED TO BE ALERT (WIDE-AWAKE) TO THE IMPULSES AND THE NUDGES THAT HE WILL FREELY OFFER TO US. GOD WANTS US TO BE ATTENTIVE TO “CHRIST IN US, THE MYSTERY OF OUR FAITH.” … TO THE PROMPTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO KNOWS MUCH BETTER THAN OURSELVES WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE.

THINK ABOUT IT. HE IS WISER THAN YOU ARE AND YOU NEED TO RESPOND TO HIS LEADING. TRUST HIM. PUSH ASIDE YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE. BE ASSURED THAT HE SPEAKS. LEARN TO HEAR HIS VOICE.

HEBREWS 11:6 “BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, FOR THE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.”
SO, PUT ASIDE SOME TIME TO MEDITATE ON THE THINGS OF GOD. IF YOU APPROACH HIM WITH A THANKFUL, HUMBLE, AND OPEN HEART … YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU HEAR HIS VOICE.