|
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?'
Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"
(Isaiah 6:8)
This week in our devotions, we are talking about the importance of listening well and how listening to God has a direct impact on our relationship with God. In order for us to walk with God and for Him to lead us in the right paths, it is imperative that we spend time with Him and listen to Him when He speaks. He will speak! He is the God who communicates, because He is the only true, living God. God created mankind and gave us His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins. He adopts us as His children and desires an intimate and personal relationship with each one of us. Isn't that astounding?!
In order to enjoy this relationship with God, we must have conversations with Him. I love our biblical text for today. It was a wonderful encounter that Isaiah the prophet of Israel had with the Lord. He heard the voice of the Lord. He was humble and in a posture of listening, not passively but purposefully. He heard God ask who would go on mission for Him and do His work. Isaiah responded, calling out to the Lord that he would go! Here we have a great example of someone who knew God, and his relationship with God was evidenced by the communication he had with God.
Would you believe me if I told you that God desires to have that kind of relationship with you? He wants to speak to you and send you on mission as well. Will you believe Him for that? Will you slow down, open your Bible, ask God to speak to you, and then hear what He says to you? Then, once He tells you what to do, go and do it!
We have talked this week about listening to God on purpose and not simply passively going through the motions and pretending to listen to God. Here are some practical ways you can transition from listening passively and not grasping what God and others are saying to instead listening on purpose, where you not only hear, but you also listen:
- Ask God to help you do better in this area of listening well. Share with Him how you are not that great at listening, then humbly ask that He help you to grow in this important area of listening.
- Focus on what the other person is saying. My wife is better at this than I am. She listens with intention, and you can tell. Her eyes are locked in, and she gives verbal and non-verbal feedback.
- Do not get distracted. Now, this is hard for me. I get distracted easily, and it takes much effort for me to block out the noise, tune in to what the other person is saying, and listen well. My friend, Pastor Jim Henry, is simply the best at this. There can be many people gathered around him, but if he is having a conversation with you, then he locks eyes with you, blocks out everything around him, and focuses on you.
- Let the other person finish their train of thought before you respond. Proverbs 18:13 says, "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him."
- Respond with action to those who are speaking to you. Either non-verbally nod your head or reply in a way that shows you have been truly listening to them. When the Lord has spoken to you like He spoke to Isaiah and many others in Scripture, by all means, do what Isaiah did: go do it!
May the Lord speak to you today and give you a mission. When He speaks, go in faith, and do great things for God!
|
Apple
Spotify
Stitcher
YouTube
