Shouting Stones and a Still Small Voice
Good Morning Friends,
Today we come to the most misunderstood of our senses as it relates to our experience of God. This is difficult for as I am writing, at the same time, I am trying to turn off my internal editor. I could be writing about the order of sound in great music…the vibrations and harmonies and the emotions of fifths and thirds in majors and minors. But what I seek to communicate is not the manipulation of sound and senses by man, beautiful though that is, but to hear the Breath of God formed into words and to share in that personal and intimate message.
Even Moses found it hard to listen and to speak. Thankfully hearing God speak audibly is not a requirement of being a Christian. Regardless, this morning I seek more than an echo of the divine. Humbled before a burning bush in my mind’s eye I move also to seek to hear whatever God might choose to reveal of the divine purpose… even in Shouting Stones and a Still Small Voice.
Scripture: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:22 (NIV)
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Romans 9:18 (NIV)
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17:11 (NIV)
[Jesus prayed,] “Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.”
John 12:28 (NIV)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22 (NIV)
Message: Through the prophets the invisible God becomes audible. But prophets come to nasty ends for the most part. God speaks to us today by convicting us of sin through the Spirit. Here we realize His words bring new life into existence. Friends, the Spirit comforts us, corrects us, and guides us. Here we realize indecision is a kind of sin. And in sin could argue that hearing God’s voice audibly is not necessarily something we should hope for. Regardless, some do hear God in that way. The proper response is to put it to the test…validate it. God is communicating all the time. The problem and the reality we must face is that our ears have not always been trained to hear properly. We, for the most part, need practice for our sense of hearing is not always trustworthy and often not authoritative. Still Jesus is always knocking at the door of our hearts. Here we are to learn, listen, heed, and abide. Here we learn to forgive and here our attitude is molded into love. Friends, God speaks because he loves us and wants to be in an interactive, intimate relationship with us. How we hear is not nearly as important as the reality that we do.
Pray we be still. Pray we be in the Spirit. Pray when God talks we shut up and listen. Pray we be hearers and doers of the Word. Pray we experience God in prayers that heal the heart. Pray we have dreams that speak God’s will. Pray we experience words of counsel from friends and scripture that are both natural and supernatural. Pray we not strain to hear something that is not there. Pray we recognize Jesus’ voice. Pray we listen for God as we meditate on the Word and engage our senses in reflection and listening for spiritual direction. Pray we always choose to respond to what we hear in ways that help us and others to love God better. Pray we not just be waiting around for the trumpet to sound.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 