By: Nathan Haras
Isaiah 50: 4-5
“The sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
so that I know what to say to all these weary ones.
Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my
understanding to his will. The sovereign Lord has
spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or
turn away.”
Communicating with the Lord involves both speaking
and listening. Most of us are better at talking. But
God intends for His children to hear His voice. His
goal is the same today as it always has been — to be
certain that we comprehend the truth about Him, to
conform us to His ways, and to equip us for
communicating His truth to others.
Two of the instruments the Lord uses to speak to
modern-day believers are His Word and other people.
For this reason, studying the Bible is more important
than getting breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. We
can easily live on one daily meal, but we cannot
survive in this wicked world unless we feast on God’s
Word. The result of our regular consumption of
Scripture is a discerning spirit. When a Christian
shares a message that God laid on his heart for us,
our spirit verifies the truth of his statement.
Regardless of how loudly God speaks, we won’t hear
Him unless listening is a priority. We must ask Him to
teach us to hear and then work at having a quiet
attitude. An internal “receiver” tuned to the Father
develops only through committed prayer, meditation,
and practice at listening. In addition, we will need a
spirit of submission to obey the commands He gives.
God’s goal for us is a lifestyle of sensitivity so we
can hear Him in noisy or calm situations. Listening to
Him is a critical skill for ensuring that our hearts
are open to divine guidance in every circumstance. The
dessert for our feast of Scripture is the sound of a
Father’s voice. |
