Whispers

During this time of shouting in our world, it is often difficult to hear God's whispers. They ARE there. We're just too busy yelling at each other to hear them.

Consider the reactions to shouting verses whispering though. Which one you you think is more receptive? When someone shouts their message we often recoil. "Could you turn it down a notch?" We withdraw from that person AND their message.

But consider the whisper. "What did you say?" or "I didn't hear that" are the more likely responses. There is a desire to understand what the person is saying. We are desiring to hear.

When God spoke to Elijah, did God yell at Elijah with a loud, thunderous voice? No. He spoke in a whisper.

"The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here?" - 1 Kings 19:11-13

Has God been whispering in YOUR life? Have you heard it? Or is Satan yelling so loudly that you can't hear anything else?

There is plenty of noise in the world these days. In my opinion, it is all driven by Satan. We must instead listen for the whispers. The expressions of love we show to one another. The tiny nudges we receive from God's Holy Spirit.

It is up to us to hear. After all, God gave us two ears and one mouth. Why do you think God did that?

Nuance Perfume Commercial

Ears To Hear

Well, that was interesting. I just took a hearing test over the phone. I know my hearing is not what it once was but I didn't think it was "substantially below the average range." Hmm. I must be getting old. At least my ears are!

Most of my hearing trouble occurs in noisy rooms. Lots of conversations going on, clanking dishes and utensils all add to the confusion. It can be quite distracting. And so it is with my faith.

We can get very distracted by the world we live in. So much so that we often forget about God in a world filled with its own clanging noises and conver*sations.

Politicians clamoring for our attention with smooth, convincing speeches can lure us into believing a lie. Television commercials can also be quite distracting with their soothing rhetoric. My wife and I have taken to muting the television when the commercials come on. You should try it. It's like an oasis in the desert.

Watching the nightly news is also a clanging cymbal in my ears. It's doesn't matter which side of the fence you're on, they all want our attention. Some even shout for it or distract us in other ways.

I've seen some TV preachers that do the same thing. They're yelling at the top of their lungs. Do they think that everyone is as hard of hearing as I am? They must. I tend to turn them off. My eyes glaze over and then roll back in my head as I hear them speak their nauseating self-help messages. That ain't worship boys.

Do you know what DOES get my attention? Do you know what really makes me listen? It's when I "hear" God speaking to me as I read His wonderfully written Word. I may be losing my hearing but I can still hear my Savior's voice . . . with my eyes.

My wife likes to speed read books. She can finish entire novels in a matter of days. Not me. I like to read at the speed of normal human speech. I also enjoy reading out loud. Both reading AND hearing really drive the message home.

As we walk through this world may we train ourselves to tune out the noisy rhetoric and clanging cymbals. Let us focus on the sound of our Shepherd's voice. We know the sound of His voice. Let us listen only for the words HE speaks to us, and not our own.

"10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” - 1 Samuel 3:10

Ears To Hear - Sabbath School

Ears To Hear

When I was volunteering as a youth leader at church I watched the youth pastor as he delivered his weekly message to the high school kids. It had to be frustrating for him. No one was listening. Some were doing homework on a table off to the side. Others, their faces all aglow, lit up by their phone screens as they texted with friends. No one seemed to be paying any attention at all.

We adults were the ones who weren't paying attention.

The youth of today are pretty darn smart. Pretty attentive too. Despite outward appearances they retain more information than I did when I was a kid. And they are bombarded with so much of it. Social media, television, movies, school activities, homework . . . there are plenty of things to distract them. It's a wonder anything gets through to them at all.

A year or so ago I was helping a young adult work through some personal issues. Her best friend had committed suicide, her boyfriend was in jail, her parents both had issues and she dropped out of school.

If you think that was pretty depressing you'd be right . . . and she was. That's why the text I received the other night meant so much. The text said both she and her boyfriend were going back to school to get their high school GED. I almost fell over.

I vaguely remember to help them, our financially if they would go back to school. They never responded. I figured, "Oh, well" but then the text asking if I'd still like to help.

"ABSOLUTELY!!"

Kids don't miss a thing. Be careful what you say. Ha ha! But more importantly, know that people are listening even when you think they're not. God gave them ears to hear and they're using them.

It seems like it might be hard to be heard in a world with so many distractions. People hear. It's just that sometimes they don't listen. Speak with your heart and others will hear your words. But when someone listens with their heart, then you have something. :)

"43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" - Matthew 13:43

With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear - Sleeping With Sirens