God Speaks—Are You Listening?

God Speaks—Are You Listening?

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” Psalm 119:103.

Are you a disciplined, dedicated “never miss” Bible reader? You rarely neglect your time with God and find it a necessary and meaningful activity virtually every day?

Congratulations! You are one of a diminishing group of God followers according to various sources.

Studies in both America and Canada are measuring the decline of Bible reading. They are also linking the lack of Bible knowledge with the moral decline among Christians. One comment struck me:

“Followers of Jesus will treat the Bible as an optional reading lesson. Disciples of Jesus will treat the Bible as the bread of life. Serious Christians will see the Bible as indispensable in knowing Jesus more deeply. Causal Christians will see the Bible as a dusty, boring book that has little relevance to their earthly pursuits.”

I recently joined a Spiritual Formation ministry in my church called ABIDE.  Each of us has committed to a daily routine that involves using a journal and doing the following:

• Memorizing a verse a week (Writing it out every day helps!)
• Noting three things I’m grateful for (unique to that day)
• Writing a prayer that ends with the words “so that”. (In other words, why am I making this request? How does it promote God’s work in the world or in me?)
• Reading Scripture (I read a small portion, recording my thoughts and applying what I sense God is saying to me) 
• Reflect on the day – which I do the next morning.

 
My memory verse was Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.”

My prayer: was about a decision I needed to make so I claimed God’s promises that He would instruct and guide me as I asked what to do.

As a result: I was listening, watching, and looking for God’s guidance. Tuning into a podcast, the speaker talked abut not letting others direct your decisions! An online article brought more clarity. A conversation with a friend gave me more perspective. My full decision hasn’t been made yet, but I feel assured that when the right time comes, God will guide me with His eye!

(I know that not every prayer for direction gets answered so quickly—but I’m a firm believer that if we don’t ask, we can’t expect an answer!)

Many of us live packed-to-the-brim lives where we desperately multi-task our endless to-do lists. Rushing to work, taking care of children or meeting other pressing needs too often means that time to read the Bible, think about it, and absorb it into our spiritual system just doesn’t happen. Despite loving to soak in Scripture, at times I still struggle with fitting it in.

My goal isn’t to make you feel guilty, flaky, or full of shame. Life happens. Seasons of life vary. But if we put ourselves in the “serious Christian” category, let’s reflect on the benefits gained from spending more time reading Scripture.

How has God’s Word spoken to you in the past? What about recently? What about the current situation you are dealing with?

I’d love to motivate you to think about your own life, your own journey, and talk to God about it. Ask Him to speak—and listen, watch, and look for His response.

In my next article I’ll share why listening to Him is life-transforming—and give you 7 suggestions for absorbing more of what He wants you to know.

I hope you’ll be blessed and grow hungry to hear what He wants to say to you!
Poppy