Haven't You Been Listening?
A Devotional
© 2001 Steve Lattier and Men's Help Ministries

Do you know just about the quickest way to scare the living daylights out of almost all non-Christians and quite a few Christians as well? It can be done with as little as three words! Before I tell you I want you to know that it will strike fear in many hearts. Ok, here are the three little words “God told me…” Whoa! That would imply that, in fact, you have heard from God. Perhaps even more frightening is the thought that you have talked to God, or as the secular world is fond of saying “the big guy upstairs” (I am thinking how rude and impersonal) The most horrifying thought yet is that you, simple plain old you, has had regular conversation with the God of the universe, not only do you speak with Him but He replies in a language and a manner that you can understand. People, Christians and non-Christians alike are terribly afraid of God becoming real enough to talk to, in their lives. It causes great consternation to think that God would be that actively involved. Most secular people feel more comfortable keeping God at arms length, see He can't (they think) peek into their private lives and see the wrongs and bad thoughts that they are neck deep in. Christians aren't a whole lot different. We too are ashamed of our slips and falls. I distinctly recall some thoughts I had from before I really sought God. I was saved, but the thought of being “sold-out” was scary to me. I saw people who were not afraid to pray, not afraid of relationship. It looked so different to me than the worldly life I led that the thought of being like them terrified me! If someone had said to me “you know, God told me the other day that….” I probably would have laughed them off as a real nutcase. Many cynics would jump at the chance to add something like “what, did He call you on the phone and tell you that?” or some other snide remark. All garbage aside God is real, God is that personal and God speaks to each of us often! More often than not it is us that either ignores Him or simply has too much junk in our life to hear Him when He does speak.

The Word:
1Kings 19:11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?".

Sometimes God is so quiet that even His presence will pass you by if you are not listening specifically to hear Him. If Elijah had not been told that God was coming to Him and had not been actively looking and listening for Him, he very well could have missed God. You can tell that Elijah was being attentive. He was looking for God in a tornado, a rockslide, an earthquake and a wildfire! Finally His diligence was rewarded, he heard God. Do you have so much going on in your life that it makes as much noise as all that? Work, raising kids, how about an painful injury or a car that causes you trouble all the time. What is your earthquake, what is that thing that could distract you from hearing God when He whispers at you? Now God doesn't always whisper. God talks to us in many ways and at different volumes.

The Word:
2Samuel 22:10 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. [11] He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared* on the wings of the wind. [12] He made darkness his canopy around him-- the dark* rain clouds of the sky. [13] Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. [14] The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

Now that would be a sight to see and hear! God does sometimes speak to us in a tremendous amount of fanfare and display! While it is less likely that we will hear a voice THUNDER from Heaven, many times our circumstances speak just as clearly! I can just bet that you can recall at least one time that God has stopped you from doing something just as neatly as if He had shouted “stop” from Heaven! Even without talking to God Jonah was quite sure where the storm and the fish came from wasn't he? God speaks to us in so many different ways. Really, it just depends on what you are going through and how God thinks it would be best to reach you. Sometimes God will show up while you are sleeping!

The Word:
Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,* because he will save his people from their sins.".

Do you remember your dreams? Would you remember if God spoke to you in one or through one? This passage also goes to prove that it won't always be God that delivers His word to you as well. Just because it is not a thundering, smoke shadowed holy presence doesn't make it any less God's word for you! There is not a single chance that I can quote all the passages where God interacted with people in the Bible. God was constantly speaking and counseling with His children. One time God even got down in the dirt to reach one fellow!

The Word:
Genesis 32:22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. [23] After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. [24] So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. [25] When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. [26] Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." [27] The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. [28] Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,* because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

I certainly hope that I never have to wrestle God, or more like it that He feels it necessary to come and wrestle me until daylight! But I also thank God that He loves me enough to get down in the dirt and fight me over what is right, or even to test me. God is constantly trying to reach all of us. He is speaking to us each and every day. It is us that jams the communication lines, or flat ignores the message when it comes. God will go to an extreme if He must to reach you. Don't make Him! All He wants is to speak with you and to be an active part of your life, every day! It is high time that we start to clear out some of the clutter that drowns out His voice. Ask yourself this question “What is it that stops me from having time to stop what I am doing and spend time waiting to hear God?” I am going to guess that most of your answers we not much better than poorly fabricated excuses or halfhearted justifications of an overly busy schedule. I am not condemning you, we can all get better though. There is no valid excuse for not having a regular prayer life. That includes time to listen to God instead of just handing Him a wish-list of prayers for the week. Does your prayer life sound like this. “Lord thank you for this week, please heal my brother, please help me through this trial, and keep my children safe.” We should take our problems to God, He wants us to! But a relationship goes both ways, give God time to talk to you as well! Sit back and just tell Him, “Ok God this is your time! I am listening.”

The Word:
Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live [20] and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (emphasis mine)

Pray with me: Father thank you for the gift of your word! Thank you for teaching me about your will. Help me Lord, to conform to your plans. Give me strength, Father, to spend time with you. Give me the patience to wait on you to speak instead of thinking I have to do all the talking. You speak in so many ways to me help me to listen. I ask this humbly in Jesus name. Amen!

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[ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: SLattier ]

Great one Steve... my brain always goes in many directions when reading your studies. <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

How does one discern whether or not God is talking to me? It's so easy to say "God told me.." when it's something we want to do. There's many instances of a Christian saying "God told me..." one week, then the next He tells that person to do the opposite, then the next something completely different. It really makes it sound like God can't make up His mind and is a poor witness to those who don't have a relationship with God to where they listen to Him. To me, in that case, it would be much better to go ahead and say "I wanna do this, so I'm gonna..."

Yes, that was a good one Preacha...however, there is NOT a hard copy where one should be right now...

I have had some struggles with the same thing Allen. Knowing the difference between His will and my own. A little over a year ago, I was offered a job transfer which would uproot my family and take us out of state. I was so unsure at first and I took it to the Lord and I prayed on my own and we prayed as a church and when I made the decision to move, I made it in peace, no regrets. I knew that it was the right thing to do at that time. Once I got there, that punk devil hit me with everything he had trying to make me hi-tail it back home. But I knew it for what it was, just the deceiver playing it up and I stood firm. God showed me so many awesome things during that year and I grew more than I had since I was saved. But early this spring my dad became ill and I saw the need to be closer to my parents, so we made the decision to move back. I could look at that as it possibly being my will and not Gods' to have gone in the first place, but I guess I will never really be sure. I think I was there for a purpose, but sometimes you will never know what God had in mind. Possibly a seed was planted that I will never see harvested, but becasue I can't see it doesn't change the profoundness of the result.

I think that if you have peace in the decisions that you make based on what you "think" is God's will, then in most cases it probably was. However, If a couple of your Christian brothers came around telling you that you that they were concerned about the choices you were making, I would have to do a heart check at that point.

I just think that we need to have a life prayer that the Lord keep our hearts softened to the leading of the Holy Spirit and our ears open to His voice. He'll be sure to "correct" us if we are really in error...

/

There are rare moments when I actually am sure that I am hearing from God...when I am alone and praying, not so much asking for things, but asking Him questions. Not asking of Him, but just asking Him.

And it is funny the responses that you get when you try to share what God told you...it's a mixture of skepticism mixed with criticism or even sarcasm. And that hurts, and you listen to the criticism that even other Christians give you, and all of the sudden you wonder if that was really God or if it was just your own mind feeding you answers...

Sad how the enemy can use your own brothers and sisters in Christ against you, isn't it? Even when they don't mean to hurt you...that's why we are supposed to speak to each other in love and gentleness...but we are human, and sometimes the tongue slips...and words hurt.

I am learning that is when I have to trust that if I beg God to let me hear from Him, and if I humble myself before Him and really seek Him, He will answer me. And I have to hold on to the faith that He does want me to walk in His will. And if He wants me to walk in His will, and I am actively seeking His will, would He not guide me one step at a time? Surely He will...won't He? <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

We... (I) make things so complicated sometimes. I ask Him a question, and it's like I expect a "no" answer...so when He says yes, I just don't hear it because I'm so busy allready throwing a temper tantrum because I'm so sure He is going to say no...I'm sure He is laughing about it as He is trying to grab hold of my attention and say "YES ALLREADY!" By then I've almost let the opportunity pass me by, and I create more problems for myself then if I would have just done what I was told in the first place...

If I could just get to the point that I was confident -- not in my ability to hear God, but -- in His ability to speak to me in a way that I will understand, then I believe that I would be saved much heartache and wasted time.

There is a passage of scripture that I have heard before, and it has been brought to my attention in several different ways by different sources over the past week (God does that to me sometimes too, and when He does, I know He is about to teach me something that I should definitely remember)...here is the passage:

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">Luke 18
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."'
6Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">

I was praying Monday night as I walked around the campus, and I asked Him a question that I have asked Him too many times allready. I was circling the campus for the second or third time that night, but the umpteenth time this month, and I was just praying over the campus and the ministry and the people that I care about in the ministry and the lost people that we have yet to reach...For some reason I have felt led to do that, and so for whatever reason, that is what I will do.

As I was walking I thought about the vision and purpose of those of us who meet every week...and how our burden is to reach the lost people, but they seem like this huge wall that cannot be penetrated by any force imaginable. So is me just walking around a waste of time? Shouldn't I be doing something a little more hands on? Would I be better off stopping as I walk to talk to everyone I see? Tell them about stand and invite them? I do that occasionaly, but I was wondering if maybe I should just not circle the campus at all, but talk to more people..??

But God said, "That's not what I told you to do."

So I walk...not really seeing how walking is going to do much good...I can't see any visible results, and it gets discouraging. Walk and pray...walk and pray...

And when I stopped my petition for a little while, I just started conversing and asked Him the question. "Why don't I see anything happening?"

And as soon as I asked the question, He just about knocked me over...He told me to find a place to sit RIGHT NOW...so I did. And as I sat there with my eyes closed, I saw a huge wall with people circling around it relentlessly. The wall was immense, and the marchers were tired and dirty. To add to their discomfort, they were being ridiculed as they continued their journey along the great wall. Clearly they had a purpose in mind, and not just any purpose; their mission was to carry out instructions that were given straight from the mouth of God. They were not entirely sure how walking in a circle would bring them to where they needed to be, but they marched on. The enemy taunted them as they carried out their destiny...blasted them with sarcasm and tried to cast a shaddow of a doubt over their God-given knowledge.

And it worked. Soon some of them began to doubt and as they did so, they spread their doubt in the form of anger. They felt as if they had been misled...and the dissention grew among the members of the group. The marchers began to drift away one by one...until slowly, what looked like an army of people dwindled down to no more than a handfull. The leaders soon began to loose hope and wonder if this really had been an assignment by God, or just some strange ego centered power trip that they had gone on...and so they faltered. And they decided that it hadn't been God's voice that they heard after all...and with heavy hearts and defeated spirits, they trudged back to camp wondering when God was going to bring them to the promised land so that they could rest at last. And as they walked away, they took one last glance at the towering city walls...

And Jerico stood. Their promised land, locked away behind a wall of stone.

And I realized that God was telling me just to obey...just trust. Press on. When the enemy whispers in my ear, just laugh in his face. Realize that I don't wrestle with those around me. They are not my true enemy...

He was also telling me that I give up too easily. Because each time I give up, I have to start over again, only the instructions have changed because I missed that window of opportunity that He had opened for me rather than walking through it. I march around the wall 6 times...and if I would only take the final lap...I would understand. But I don't persist. I back off, and don't even know that I have just missed what God had for me...

God speaks to us...and yes, as Allen brought up, there is always going to be a handful that take advantage of God's name and say "God told me this....God told me that..." and they contradict themselves...and it does look like maybe God is a contradiction...but I think that God is big enough to straighten that mess out and work it out for His glory...

Let me ask this: if you thought God told you to do it, but you were afraid of looking foolish or contradictory and so instead you say, "I have decided to..."

And it turned out to be what God wanted you to do, how does God get the glory for that? Yes, it should be something that we say only after praying about it, and when we are wrong, we should admit it, but if you say after the fact that it was really God's voice that you heard, wouldn't that discredit you a little to a world that is watching your every move? Couldn't people interpret that in a bad way too? If they think we are fanatical anyway, and that we give God too much credit allready...if we try to play it safe and give Him credit only after things work out...where is the witness in that? How do we show our faith through always playing it safe and saying that it was my idea...?

[ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: foreverchanged ]

Lots of great thoughts folks!!

(embie I couldn't open email last night so no one has a copy yet!)

Allen, It has been my experience that when God has asked something of me it has always been the harder, more uncomfortable path. You know the one that scares the daylights out of me and forces me to rely on HIM for just about everything, humbling me and putting Him in correct perspective!

Michelle, I agree. I don't think I have ever intentionally taken credit for God's ideas and missions. I am SURE that I have not been paying attention to where many thoughts have come from and mistakenly taken credit. I think that God still gets glory because the act was done even so!


God bless ya!
Steve

(ps Allen I think you wander because I go the long way around to get to the point of each devotion! Perhaps I am a bit flaky too *grin* ... nah...)

I think it's funny how God drops hints. This morning I was reading, and God led me to another passage that meant the same thing as the above passage. That is the fourth time He has brought such a passage to my attention now in the past 2 weeks...

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">Luke 11
5
Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7
"Then the one inside answers, `Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'
8
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[5] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[6] a fish, will give him a snake instead?
12
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">

I just get so excited when He does stuff like that... <img src="smile.gif" border="0" alt="" />

Good answer! Most "feel God leading us" to the easier path, or at least the one we want more

I think I wander because you make several good points before you tie them all together...