Listening for God

Do you listen for God?  I know I am guilty of doing too much talking and not enough listening.  I always have my list ready for God and jump right into prayer telling God what I want Him to do for me.  I wonder what kind of difference it might make in our lives if we would listen more.  I wonder what important things God might be waiting to tell us if we would just listen. 

Listening is a lost art in our world.  We seem to want to tell people all we have to say and move on.  How many times do we ask how someone is…without even stopping?  God let the Israelites know the importance of listening in Exodus 15:26.  "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that, which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer."  God wanted them to listen to Him, but even more than that to act upon what He said.  We must listen to be able to act. 

Listen to these words from Ecclesiastes, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools… Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.” (5:1-2)   I am not here to say that God is going to give us any new revelation on matters of doctrine.  He has given us His Word and has declared that to be all we need for our salvation.  I am not so sure that Jesus doesn’t quietly whisper to us as our intercessor with our Father, God.  God also told us to listen to Jesus after His transfiguration in Matthew 17:5.  "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." 

So where does this leave us in listening for the soft still voice of God?  I am working on meditation.  Spending some quiet time with God could never be a bad thing, could it?  God will not scream.  He will not push into your crowded life.  You must make room for Him and listen.  “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7).  That’s my goal in meditation, to wait for the Lord patiently.  Listening is a lost art.  We must revive this art as a part of our spirituality.  “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promise.” (Psalm 119:148)  Let’s wake up and listen for the Lord.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)  Let’s listen carefully for the knock and open the door.  Don’t you want to commune with Jesus?

God Bless!