Can You Hear Me Now?

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives challenges.  It poses challenging questions, either directly or by deduction.  Here’s one, How do you listen?  Have you ever thought about you personally… how do you listen?  People listen in different ways.  Some people listen distracted, some people listen with skepticism, some listen with doubt, some listen out of curiosity, or boredom, some people listen thinking of their own answer, just waiting for their turn to talk, or it would be rude.  Some people listen to criticize, some people listen to sell you something, or manipulate you into doing what they want.  They don’t really listen to you, they listen for clues to control you.  So how does God want you to listen?  There are some people who listen to understand – with no agenda but love and empathy.  When it comes to God some people actually listen carefully with intent to obey.  That’s how God wants you to listen.  Not listen to consider, but listen with the foregone conclusion that what God says is true, and I will obey no matter what, and I’ll do it immediately.  That’s the kind of listening that God wants from you.  It proves his principle of more.  Luke 8:16 – Therefore consider carefully how you listen.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.  When it comes to listening, what you have and don’t have – is what sticks and what doesn’t.  Some people had it but lost it, some never had it, others have it and keep it and get more.  Praying that you will listen well today.  First to God, then to others.  Someone said, you can’t listen when you’re talking.  Easy to talk, harder to listen.  You won’t listen, if you don’t have ears to hear.  In order to listen well – ask God to help you listen.  Ask God to help you make it a focus, until it becomes a first reaction.  Ask clarifying questions, reflect what they said, and let them add or clarify.  Listen for their thoughts, and their feelings, listen with no agenda, and fully listen before preparing a response.  And when it comes to God – do the same.  Let the Holy Spirit clarify, and as for you - pre-decide that you will obey no matter what.  Listen to run with it!  Not to debate or consider it.  (Don’t be perverse – turning it over in your mind and eventually going back to the opposite) instead be perceiving.  Know and do the will of God.  It comes from listening to His voice.  Be careful how you hear.  Hear well and you’ll do well.  Whatever God says is for your victory, your deliverance and your absolute good.  You can trust Him.  Praying that you will have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to obey immediately.  Even if what God tells you doesn’t make sense, or doesn’t seem like the best idea.  Be sure it’s Him speaking, but Obey first, and the understanding will come, the victory will come, the fruit will come – and joy will come with it.  So how do you listen?  Praying that you will listen well, so you do well, so you get more of what He wants to share with you, and reveal to you.
 
Love you all,
dad