"Are You Listening God?"

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!

Psalm 116:1-2 

 

When tough times come and we pray, we have the tendency to expect (and even demand) immediate relief and answers.  When relief and answers are not immediate, we have the tendency to get mad at God and believe He's not listening, doesn't understand our situation, or just doesn't care.  Or maybe that's just me (but I doubt that).

 

Scripture tells us that God has plans for us that are for our good, not our destruction (Jeremiah 29:11).  We are also told that, even when we don't know what to say or how to pray, God still hears our hearts and since He knows ALL hearts, He gets it (Romans 8:26-27).  God has a plan for us and until that plan is completed His job in us is incomplete (Philippians 1:6).  God understands everything about us and has so orchestrated the universe that He will get you where you need to be right at the perfect time (Psalm 139:16).

My point is simple: Regardless what we go through (good, bad, horrible, fantastic, peaceful, unsettling) God loves you enough to get you through it and onto His mission for you.  The enemy WILL try to derail God's plan by trying to discourage us and demoralize us, but turn the enemy over to God and let Him deal with the enemy AND us!

 

 

There's A Time To Stop Talking And Listen

Those who answer before they listen
    are foolish and disgraceful.

Proverbs 18:13 

 

I can pretty much guarantee that 90% or more of all arguments are because we are bound and determined that we are right and they are wrong and we aren't about to change our mind.  It's called STUBBORN!  It's called MULEHEADED!  It's called IDIOCY!

 

And I can also guarantee that most of the time when we argue we aren't evening listening to what the other person is saying because we are too busy thinking of a retort that will hurt them and, hopefully, shut them down.  And then we are surprised when we lose that friend or we finally end up just existing without speaking with one another.

 

One of the keys to a successful relationship, marriage, or friendship is the one thing we seem to be SO resistant to do....LISTEN!  

 

Here are a few things that happen when you truly listen:

   *  You will learn the other person's point of view.

   *  You may discover that your perception is wrong (in which case your apology is in order).

   *  You both can formulate a plan to resolve the issue.

   *  You learn to respect each other more.

   *  You show your truly appreciate the other person.

   *  You can learn something you never knew before.

 

If you want your relationships to work, have a free unhindered dialogue which begins with you LISTENING. 

If You Would Be Wise....

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

~Proverbs 17:28

 

Did you know that wisdom is a lesson learned?

 

Think about this:

     *     Is it a good idea to get between a Mama bear and her cub?

     *     Is it a good idea to walk barefoot through a room in the dark?

     *     Is it a good idea to wrestle with a skunk....or a porcupine?

     *     Is it a good idea to jump off a cliff without a parachute just to taunt gravity?

 

You see, we learn some wisdom from experience.  I learned very early on that talking less gave my ears more of a chance to hear, and also gave my mind more time to understand.  Ever met someone who thought the one who talks the most and the loudest MUST be the one who is right?  Hmmmmm.......just because one uses many loud words does not make them wise; it merely makes them loud and annoying.

 

Let me share with you some nuggets of wisdom I have learned by being observant and listening:

     *    If the drink machine takes your money, putting MORE money in it seldom works.

     *    If you are in a hurry, traffic lights will conspire to stop you at every intersection.

     *    If you don't ask for help, chances are the ones who can help you won't know.

     *    Learning to laugh is good for the body, mind AND spirit.

     *    Hugs are the best therapeutic tool ever.

     *    If you encourage honestly (instead of using flattery) the results will last much longer.

     *    Pretending nothing hurts is nothing more than lying to yourself.

     *    Children see MUCH more than we give them credit.

     *    Children hear far more than we would like them to.

     *    Children will tell way more than we want them to.

     *    The person who annoys you, OWNS you! Because they have captured your attention long after they're gone and far longer than they are thinking about you.

 

 

"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own." - Publilius Syrus

Feeling Sheepish Yet?

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Luke 2:13-20 

Yesterday, we had terrified shepherds being told "Don't be afraid."  The angel gave them the Good News of Christ and told them where to find Him.  While the shepherds are still recovering, processing the information, and trying to come to grips with the fact that the Messiah is here....Luke tells us the rest of the Angelic Host pops in "suddenly" and starts singing!

Consider this.....if you put 100 people in a room and tell them they can talk, but only by whispering, it's still going to be loud because all the whispering joined together is going to make a lot of noise.  So imagine the "the armies of heaven" when they begin praising God.  That would be deafening!  So these already shaky shepherds are, by now, pretty sure something truly powerful has occurred and they are part of it.

When the Angels return to Heaven, the shepherds decide they have GOT to see this.  Let's face it, if God goes to all the trouble of sending a messenger and then send the vast armies of heaven to deliver the news of the Messiah....might want to go see what all the hubbub is about.  So off they go to Bethlehem to see this child.

Meanwhile back in the fields, no mention is made of the reaction had by the flocks of sheep.  It's as if the shepherds no longer care about the flocks of sheep.  That baffled me for many years UNTIL a pastor friend explain that sheep, even thought they are not the brightest of God's creatures, know the voice of their shepherd and will calm at his voice.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." - John 10:14-15

Then this friend reminded me that when Jesus met with the Disciples on the shore after His death, Jesus asked Peter three times: "Peter do you love Me?" and after each time Peter responded "Yes" Jesus told him to take care of His sheep, protect His flock, and lead His lambs.

Psalm 100:3 - "Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE."

Let's learn to listen to the voice of our Shepherd! 

  

You Hear But Are You Listening?

So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.

~Genesis 7:5

Sherlock Holmes was famous for pointing out, "You see, but you do not observe!  I see AND observe and, thus, many crimes are solved."  What about us?  

These last several days have drenched in rain, which has resulted in flooding.  People have had to leave their homes and even evacuate completely to higher ground because of the flooding. People have joked about needing to build an ark just to get to work.  And, yes, I have made that same joke as well.

Sunday morning, however, we awoke to soaked rug and the sound of dripping water (which we heard in spite of the rain sounds from outside).  I walked into the den to find a large, wet, dripping section of sheet rock and off to the attic I climbed to attempt to discover the source of this leak.  Sure enough, the roof did have a spot where the water was seeping in. So, after putting down a large pot to catch the water, off to into the storms we went to Stuff-Mart to see if we could find something to stem the building flood. 

On the way home to tackle the issue with the hope that we had what we needed to at least patch the leaky roof, the thought occurred to me that Noah's neighbors must have thought him insane to build an enormous boat.  They probably laughed and joked.....until the rain began and didn't let up.  

Noah, on the other hand, was more focused on doing what God had told him to do rather than listen to his neighbors.  Has God ever nudged you to do something you KNEW was the right thing to do, but you chose not to do it because you felt you'd be laughed at?  Yeah me too.  Has God ever put on your heart to do something, and you did it with all your dedication...until people started making fun of you or told you that what you were doing would never make a difference?  Yeah, me too.

Yet Noah did EVERYTHING that God commanded him to do.  And in doing that, Noah and his family came out okay. 

Those who personally know me can tell you that I don't preach at people, rather I talk with people, I hand out Tootsie Rolls, I listen to them, I make Butt Ugly But Big Afghans (BUBBAs) to give away....but I don't preach.  God laid on my heart, many years ago, to listen to people and share whatever He put on my mind to share with them.  But Noah is a great example of just that, do what God has put on your heart no matter what other people might say.

To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, "You Hear, But Are You Listening?"