When God Speaks...Do you Listen?

Have you ever read through a devotional or listen to a message/sermon and said to yourself, “I’m not sure how this relates to me?” The topic of the message in your mind seemingly doesn’t even remotely touch on your personal struggles, situations or challenges. As a result you kind of “tune out” and don’t give the message or the reading your full attention. Little did you know, that the truths that you were exposed to in that instance would soon come back to “visit” you. In the last 24 hours I had this very thing happen to me.

While passing time yesterday, I picked up a devotional that I use from time to time that is based on the book of Proverbs. Yesterday’s reading was based on Proverbs 10:19 which reads, “The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words.” It focused on the principle that fools try to cover up their foolishness by talking too much and the wise choose their words with care. It is often those with little to say who are assumed to be wise. Too often when we are trying to appear wise, we get carried away with our words, we embellish the truth and we take our conversations to points of “no return”. We are thinking “Why did I say that?...Why did I open my mouth?...What was I thinking when I started talking?…Why didn’t I just shut my big mouth?”

I read this devotional and thought; this must be for somebody else, because I really don’t run my mouth. I’m typically reserved. Boy was I mistaken. I think that I ran my mouth and talked to more people this morning at work that I’ve talked to in the last 3 months. Things finally settled down about 1 hour ago and I was gently reminded of my devotional reading on yesterday. I felt like a BIG SAP.

What I thought was for somebody else, was exactly what I needed to hear as it was preparation for the next day that I would face. I felt like Peter after he had denied Christ. God was trying to speak to me, but I refused to listen to His words and didn’t see them as relevant to my life. Don’t be like me. If God is taking time to “minister” to you, take heed to what He is saying through His word and through His Messengers. The very thing that you don’t think you need to hear is probably the exact thing that you should pay attention to. Don’t deceive yourself.

God often places warning signs in our lives. Don’t ignore them, you may not see their relevance to you at the moment, but pray and ask God to speak to you through the “signs” revealed in the messages that you receive and to seal the truths in your heart so that when you are faced with the opportunity to apply the truths, your will remember what God spoke to you so that you can make the Godly choice and/or respond in a Godly way.

God is speaking…are you listening?

Be Blessed,
B