Are You Listening?

ARE YOU LISTENING?

"Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10

This morning when I was reading through my devotionals, I was reminded of a time in 2001 when God spoke to my heart about a particular issue that I needed to yield to His control. His voice was very plain and discernable. There was no question in my mind that He was speaking to my heart.

Boy Samuel was ministering in the temple with Eli, the priest. 1 Samuel 3:1 says "And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent." Eli, the one who should have been in tune with the voice of God, couldn't discern His voice -- it was the boy Samuel who heard the voice and knew it was God.

I believe that God still speaks to our hearts today. Now I am not about to say that I have heard the AUDIBLE voice of God nor am I willing to say He can't still speak like that today -- He's God. He can choose to do whatever He chooses, how and when He chooses.

But I am willing to tell you that if you are willing to listen, You can discern and hear His voice. He speaks through His Word as well as the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts as we pray. We can hear, know and discern His voice if we are willing to listen.

In the movie, THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, the mother penguin leaves the Dad and his baby to make a treacherous and long journey to get food. Thousands of Dad penguins huddled together in the bitter cold, sit on the eggs waiting for them to hatch. When Mom finally returns months later, she has to be able to find her man and baby. Remember there are thousands of other penguins who all look alike. Yet Dad is so tuned into his wife's voice and she to his, they can find each other even in the midst of thousands of other penguin look-alikes. And the baby has the same ability. With all the other squawking penguins, he can pick out his mom's voice in that sea of other calls.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear MY voice, and they know me and they follow me!" (John 10: 27) Are you willing to get still enough to hear HIS voice today? Are you able to pick out His voice in the sea of other voices that might be calling you today? He wants to speak to your heart and transform you life. Are you listening? -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Psalm 87-88; Proverbs 13; Romans 13

Great Quote: You can also offer your prayers, obedience, and endurance of dryness to Our Lord, for the good of other souls, and then you have practiced intercession. Never mind if it all seems for the time very second-hand.
The less you get out of it, the nearer it approaches to being something worth offering; and the humiliation of not being able to feel as devout as we want to be, is excellent for most of us. Use vocal prayer...very slowly, trying to realize the meaning with which it is charged and remember that...you are only a unit in the Chorus of the Church, so that the others will make good the shortcomings you cannot help. Evelyn Underhill