Are You Listening?

Revelation 3:20, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

The man whispered, “God, speak to me.” And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear.

     So, the man yelled, “God, speak to me!” And the thunder rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen.

     The man looked around and said, “God, let me see you.” And the stars shone brightly. But the man did not notice.

     And the man shouted, “God, show me a miracle!” And a life was born. But the man did not know.

     So, the man cried out in despair. “Touch me God and let me know that you are here!”

     Whereupon God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

     This reminds me of a story in the Bible found in 1 Kings 19:9-18. The prophet Elijah had to had to go and hide from King Ahab, so that he wasn't killed by King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. After 40 days of running, he had made it to Mount Sinai where he hid in a cave. While hiding, the Lord came to Elijah and told Elijah that he needed to go stand on the mountain where the Lord could pass by him. Elijah did as he was told, and a series of events took place.

     First there was such a strong wind that blew through it caused large rocks to break apart. You would think that that was the Lord, yet he was not in the wind.

     Next there was an earthquake. Again, big and loud, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

     Then a fire came through. Surely that had to be the Lord. Yet again it was not.

     After all those quite noticeable forces of nature there came a quiet, gentle sound. Elijah was in tune with the Lord and able to recognize His presence. In the presence of the Lord, Elijah covered his face and stood waiting for the Lord's instructions.

     Yes, the Lord is all powerful, creator of the universe, and can be a big presence. There will be times when the Lord speaks in mighty ways just like he did from the mountain to the Israelites. Yet, there will be times when the Lord speaks in still, small ways.

     If we are not tuned in with our Savior, we just may miss the blessings He has for us. If we only look for Him to come in a booming way, we may miss His message for us.

     Beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Relaxing moments surrounded by God's glorious creation in nature. Fun, laughter, and camaraderie with friends. Sometimes it's through life’s simple joys that the Lord is speaking to us.

     There's no simple formula to hearing God's voice, yet as Christians when we have a relationship with Jesus, we should be able to hear His voice- John 10:27. Jesus wants to talk with us, we just need to be willing to listen.

     If you still are looking for ways to hear God's voice here are some ideas:

-        Allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you- John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10; Ephesians 1:17; 1 John 2:27

-        Reading scripture- Psalm 119:105, 130; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21

-        The wonder of creation- Psalm 19:1-4, 97:6; Acts 141:7; Romans 1:20

-        During times of silence and meditation- Psalm 46:10, 62:5, 119:15; Philippians 4:8

-        Asking for wisdom, and direction, in prayer- Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 6:6; James 1:5

-        In a personal encounter with God- Numbers 12:8; Job 42:5; Matthew 2:12; Acts 9:1-22. 22:17-18

-        In worship- Psalm 22:3; Acts 2:46-47; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:16, James 4:8

-        Through the realization of new wisdom and understanding- Proverbs 2:6, 3:5-6; Matthew 10:19, 16:17

-        Through fellow believers- Proverbs 19:20; Ephesians 4:15-16, 1 John 4:1-6

-        The unique way God speaks to you

     Don't miss today's blessings because you are too busy looking for the big signs. Stay in tune with Jesus and you will hear Him clearly, speaking to you.

Today take some extra time diving into the Bible. I have listed many verses above that can make a great study and get us into scripture.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and if you'd like take a few more minutes to look around or click on my other links, God bless.

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