I read this devotional this morning in my Grace For the Moment by Max Lucado.
Are You Listening?
Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. Matthew 7:8
Once there was a man who dared God to speak: Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God. And I will follow. Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God. And I will fight. Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God. And I will listen.
And so the man sat by a bush, near a wall, close to the sea and waited for God to speak.
And God heard the man, so God answered. He sent fire, not for a bush, but for a church. He brought down a wall, not of brick, but of sin. He stilled a storm, not of the sea, but of a soul.
And God waited for the man to respond. And He waited...and waited.
But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts; bricks and not lives, seas and not souls, he decided that God had done nothing.
Finally he looked to God and asked, Have you lost Your power?
And God looked at him and said, Have you lost your hearing?
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How about you...have you lost your hearing? I think I have. I have not been taking the time to quite myself before God and listen for His voice. I have not been opening His word and searching for His answers. I have been sitting in church waiting for Him to show me what He wants for me. I have been looking in the obvious places. But He rarely turns up in the obvious places for me. He sits and waits patiently for me to get over myself and find Him in the places He wants me to be. Sometimes that does happen while sitting in a church service. More often than not, I find Him and hear Him in the quite of my living room...while my family is still asleep...before I let the business of my day get the best of me. I hear Him in the words of a song. I hear Him in the laughter of my kids. I feel Him in the embrace of my husband. I feel Him when in the presence of my girlfriends.
Lord, I'm so sorry I haven't been listening for Your voice. My ears are open.
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5 comments:
Wow Tonya, I can't tell you how much I needed to read that today! Seriously, thank you for being obedient and posting that, because I so needed it! My ears have been clogged for awhile now, I need to start listening to Him, I know He is trying to talk to me. Thanks my friend, Love you!
Tonya - Thank you for the kick in the pants this morning!
Rachelle Sutton
This was a beautiful post! Something I definitely needed to hear!
I nomintated you for an award! Check my blog for the details.
We are leaving for PA in like 10 minutes...so I have to jet. Can't wait to come back and read your post!
Bring it on girl! There is no certain place to hear, limit to or formula for hearing God's voice. Amen sister.
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