Listen Carefully
I will confess that listening has not always been a “strong suit” of mine. I can be distracted easily by what I’m going to say next instead of really “tuning in” to what someone else is saying. I am working at improvement in this area. I’ve been reading books, and blogs on listening. I’m trying to put it into practice in my own home and work. Jeremiah is really pounding the people of Judah because they haven’t been listening to the Lord for years! Check this out…
3 The Lord has spoken his word to me again and again for these past twenty-three years. I have been a prophet since the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. I have spoken messages from the Lord to you from that time until today, but you have not listened.
4 The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again, but you have not listened or paid any attention to them. 5 Those prophets have said, “Stop your evil ways. Stop doing what is wrong so you can stay in the land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors to live in forever. 6 Don’t follow other gods to serve them or to worship them. Don’t make me, the Lord, angry by worshiping idols that are the work of your own hands, or I will punish you.”
7 “But you people of Judah did not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me angry by worshiping idols that were the work of your own hands, so I punished you.” (Jeremiah 25:3-7 NCV)
I have four listening devices: 2 ears and 2 eyes! I need to listen carefully for instruction from the Lord. He is speaking, but I’m not always listening. The Lord speaks many ways if I will simply notice. He speaks through nature that He created. He speaks through His Word that He breathed into men who wrote it down. He speaks through others who have a close relationship with Him. He speaks from within my spirit and prompts me to do things that honor Him. The big question/issue is: Am I listening?
Pressing On! Dwayne