I’m currently enrolled in a Christian
Life Coach certification program and it was my turn to give a devotional. The chapter that we were covering had to do
with LISTENING. I found this funny because
my word for 2015 also happens to be LISTEN.
No coincidences with God, right?
So as I sat with God and with the word LISTEN, a few things
happened.
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but last
week an ice storm swept through Nashville, TN.
A very loud hush accompanied this storm.
The normal hum of vehicles was absent, even the birds were strangely
silenced. Instead, as it rained ice, all
I could hear was the tapping of the crystals as they hit the eaves of the
house. It sounded like a thousand tap
dancers a mile away. Yet, in this sacred
silence there was an annoying clatter that no one else could hear. My scattered thoughts were having their own
version of a snow day. They were a mindless
clamor that interfered with my efforts to listen to the beautiful silence. Like the ice that encrusted the tree limbs
outside, these thoughts glazed over every part of me and kept me from hearing
what was important.
I realized in a new way that God beckons
me to listen to him. In John
10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Moreover, God delights in
listening to me too. Deuteronomy 4:7 says, “Yes. What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the
way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?”
I believe being heard is one of the
greatest gifts in life, and to be heard by God fulfills one of our deepest human
needs; but as I skimmed scripture I was struck by Jesus’ desire to be heard as
well. Jesus says so many times, “If anyone has ears to hear,
let them hear.” God echoes this often in the book of Revelation
as well. I am cautioned by how so many
people did not hear what Jesus was saying because they were not listening. Their hearts were not attuned, their
judgments did not allow and their desires distracted them from the beautiful
truth that he offered.
God beckons me to listen to him. He
waits expectantly. He wants to be heard
and he wants to be heard by me, and by you.
Jeremiah 29:12-14 says, “Then you
will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart. I will be found by
you, declares the Lord.” God wants
to be found and he wants to be heard. He called to Adam and Eve as they hid in
the garden, he whispered to Elijah after a grand display of wind, earthquake
and fire, he flashed a light around Paul and spoke to him on the road to
Damascus, and he continues to call, whisper and speak to us.
God used a quiet ice storm to speak to
me. When I was able to lower the volume
of my thoughts, I heard him tell me how much he enjoys being heard. He wants me to know that whether it’s through
the clamor of my thoughts, the din of my day, or the still silence of a storm,
he speaks! He has a story to tell, and
it’s a beautiful one that includes me… and you.
I invite you to find God in either the silence or noise of your life. Let’s all call upon the Holy Spirit to clear
our minds, free us from distractions and attune our hearts to hear his very
special invitation, “If anyone has ears to hear,
let them hear.” And, let
our response be as 1 Samuel 3:9 says, “Speak, Lord,
for your servant is listening.”
Thank
you heavenly Father that your Word is truth and it reveals who you are to
us. I’m so grateful you are an intimate God
who wants to be found and heard. May the
sound of your many promises subdue the clamor of our thoughts and our lives and
may we ever enjoy the consolation of your sweet voice. Amen.
