My
husband and I received a wise bit of advice from a gentleman several years
ago. This individual was the type of
person who had to attend many events – dinners, receptions, meetings – and he
had made the decision to listen to the other people with whom he was
seated. Once introductions were made
with tablemates, he simply let them talk.
He did not jump in with his own examples, he did not interject his
version of a similar situation and he tried his best not to interrupt with his
opinion. Instead, he listened. He listened to other people – in this case,
strangers. He told us he tried to do the
same thing with family and friends, but that was more difficult. There were shared circumstances and interests,
but he still did his best to listen.
What
if we did this with God? He is so much
more than family or friend, so there would be so many shared circumstances and
interests. God numbers the hairs on our
head! What if we really and truly try to
listen to God? Not jumping in with our
own examples, or interjecting our own version of the story, or interrupting
with our own opinion – but listening.
The
prophet Elijah expected God in much the same way we do – in a big, burning bush
kind of way. I Kings 19:11-12 says “Then he (Elijah) was told, "Go, stand
on the mountain at attention before God. God will
pass by." A hurricane wind ripped
through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God,
but God wasn't to
be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after
the earthquake fire, but God wasn't
in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.” (The Message)
A
gentle and quiet whisper. It takes
effort to listen to a whisper.
Focus. Determination. And the desire to truly hear it.
What
is God whispering to me today? What has
He been whispering for a long time that I really haven’t heard? And what I am going to do to listen?
Take
the time. Focus. And, understand that the words of God often
come from others. God’s desires for what
He wants for me and what I can do for Him become clearer when I listen.
There
is a lot of noise in this world – more than we can even imagine. Figuratively, it is loud out there – a true cacophony. Weed through it – and find the gentle and
quiet whisper of God.
I love CeCe
Winans!
Psalm
81:13a "Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? (The Message)
Choose
Joy!
Melissa
