Day 20: Hearing God

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

READ- Psalm 85:8

REFLECT- Let’s be honest! All of us have slipped into what is known as “selective listening” at one time or another. You know what I am talking about here! It’s when we choose to listen to the bits and pieces that we want to, and ignore or pretend to be listening to the other pieces of information. Whereas this may become useful when you are processing tons of information at once, it is not so useful in the relationships you value. For example, selective listening with my wife has never gone well. She can pick it up immediately when I am not listening, no matter how hard I pretend. Likewise, selective listening with my kids was never that satisfying either. Instead I found myself missing out on the joy of connecting with them as they shared. Fortunately I learned early on the value of listening to our children and I am blessed to engage with them as they now live their own adult lives. However, the most common place I find myself using “selective listening" is when it comes to God. Everyday God speaks to us in hundreds of ways, but most of the time we do not hear Him because we choose to only hear what we want to hear. And then we get mad and blame him for not caring or not answering or not acting. How carefully are you listening to God? I don’t know about you, but I want God to speak his peace into my life as he did for David in the Psalm 85.

RESPOND- Stop, look and listen! Stop running away or avoiding God. Look at the blessings he has given you and give him thanks. Listen carefully to what he has in store for you and seek the peace that can only come from being in his presence.