Listening to God

02/03/11   Listening

You can almost feel the excitement in the air!  People have gathered from all over the surrounding area and are anxiously awaiting the news.  Several are wondering, “what will he say.”  The announcement is only moments away and people can now only prepare for the news.  And then it comes… “Phil didn’t see his shadow, so we will have an early Spring!”

Of course I’m referring to the annual celebration known as Groundhog Day.  All of this begs the question, “Who are we listening to?” I mean really, do we really believe what a groundhog has to say about the weather.

When I want to know about weather, I listen to a weatherman.  When I desire to know about what is going on, I listen to the TV news anchor.  If I want to learn about finances, I listen to those that that know about such things.  In other words, I listen to the one that knows what I need to know.

So who do we listen to when we want to know more about God?  A friend?  Our spouse?  An employer or employee?  Your pastor?  Now all of these are good sources and they all have good insights to share.  But if I want to learn more about God, why not listen to God Himself?

Listening to God is like listening to anyone else – before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen and you have to be free from other distractions.  And you can’t do all of the talking.  Regular conversations with God can transform your life, but it isn’t always easy.  It sometimes takes work on our part to remain focused.

We live in a world of noise.  Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below the surface level.   Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us.   It's not easy, but it can be done.

Listening to God requires a right attitude in our hearts.  In order to listen to God and receive His instruction, we must want to do His will. God honors the heart that is fully surrendered to Him. If we are stubbornly clinging to our own desires, we are likely to get a garbled message that will not be God's voice at all. As a result, we are likely to continue pursuing a path that is contrary to the one God has designed for our lives.

Psalm 40:8 says, "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

Do you desire God's will for your life above every other desire? If you do, you can trust that He will direct your path. Listen to His message, and be quick to obey.