Thursday, May 27, 2021
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.
Listening to God
Communication is a vital part of any relationship. We have discussed how prayer is an important part of our relationship with God, but it is one on one communication with Him. Listening is just as vital as communicating in a relationship, if not more important. If you communicate how you feel, but no one is really listening, it is a waste of time and effort.
We communicate our feelings, our fears, our questions, our doubts, and our desires to God in our relationship with Him. And He hears us. He listens to every word, cares about every feeling, and catches every tear. But we also must listen to Him for our relationship to be everything it is meant to be. If we trust Him and that He loves us and wants the best for us, we must listen and walk in obedience according to what He is saying to us.
Getting Still and Quiet With God
Unless we intentionally sit with God and open our hearts to hear His words, we will miss what He has to say to us. The chaos of this life and the hustle and bustle of every day can distract us. Something happens and we immediately call our family or friends seeking support and advice. We get a lot of opinions and suggestions about what we can do to fix our situation, but God does not care about the opinions or suggestions of our friends. He cares about us listening to Him and walking in obedience to what He says to us. The very best thing we can do for our stressed-out weary hearts is to sit still and be quiet with God. His presence brings a peace that no amount of good advice can rival. His Spirit pouring into our open and willing heart brings wisdom beyond measure. His voice in the still quietness can calm our frazzled nerves quicker than anything else.
Communication through prayer is vital to our relationship with God and listening to Him is key to the abundant life He brings. Communication is a two-way street, but it is also a two-part deal – it requires both speaking and listening. If we truly want a relationship with Him we will listen and obey. If we truly love Him we will trust His wisdom and direction in our lives. If we trust Him, we take action by listening and walking in obedience according to His will for our lives. He is so much more capable and His words are far more reliable than any advice we would get from even our best friends. He is capable beyond our understanding and knows everything, including all we don’t’ think of to ask. He knows what we need before we even ask. Trust Him. Get still and quiet and let Him fill you with His peace and wisdom today.
To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, be glory. Ephesians 3:20-21
