Developing an Ear for God

Developing an Ear for God

"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved." -- Habakkuk 2:1

In the second half of life I am realizing that there are things that are more difficult than in the first half. I used to be able to do way more multi-tasking. I am finding that harder these days. I used to like to have music playing, or didn't seem to be distracted by noise and chatter going on around me. I find it more difficult to have that chatter these days.

It is the same way with listening. I need to be more focused these days in listening. There is so much noise everywhere these days. That is why we need to fine time our listening ears, especially when it comes to listening to God.

Here is a great devotional on that subject that I shared with you in 2005. It was too good not to share again ...

I pray that God will enable me to become a good listener. I must understand that God does not speak to me in the storm, the earthquake, or the fire, but in the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:9-12). That is another way of saying that God does not speak to me through my circumstances or thought unless there is an inner confirmation and explanation of what comes from the outside. Eli, the old priest was wise enough to know that God's will for Samuel, his aide, had to come directly from God to Samuel: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9).

Today's complex life is the deadliest enemy of listening. The result of our complexity is fragmentation, thinness, and the ability to concentrate or become deep about anything. Satan is the happiest heir of our technological age [and Glyn Evans wrote this in 1979!], and he enjoys slapping us about like a handball. I must resist him by deliberately choosing essentials and rejecting gadfly activities that render me ineffective.

How do I learn to be a good listener to God? I must begin by giving Him time and attention!
That is the crucial part of the battle. I must reject the siren calls that develop a sense of awe and reverence for God, which is a natural preparation for silence, which in turn is essential for proper listening. Once I develop an ear for God, I will be able to hear Him even in crowds and, as Brother Lawrence says, "Go forward even in sleep!"

Listening to God is difficult to master, but the results will be beyond my greatest longings. He says, "Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance" (Isaiah 55:2). God knows that listening is but the first step of a process that ends in my eternal good. -- from DAILY WITH THE KING -- Glyn Evans -- published by Moody Press

Lord, I pray that I will become a better listener, and that you will give me a ear for You today. I pray that for my brothers, too. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 9; Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6

Great Quote: Have we come to realize that our "body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?" If so, we must be careful to keep it undefiled for Him! We have to remember that our conscious life, even though only a small part of our total person, is to be regarded as a "temple of the Holy Spirit." He will be responsible for the unconscious part which we don't know, but we must pay careful attention to and guard the conscious part for which WE are responsible. -- Oswald Chambers