Listening
Isaiah 65:1
"The Lord says, 'I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.'
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on My name'."
2 Peter 1:5
"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge"
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.'
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on My name'."
2 Peter 1:5
"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge"
For years, we women have known that men have 'selective hearing', as do most children. However, I've also discovered that people in general ALL have it. You know, 'hearing' what we want to hear, and disregarding what we don't want to acknowledge. This can happen in every aspect of one's life, from pretending we never got a message from someone (which I've NEVER done, by the way :-), or the ability to look the other way when someone needs help (someone either we know or we don't know personally). Anyway, you know what I mean.
Then, we can fall over into the, "If I holler loud enough, then someone will actually HEAR what we say, or what we mean" (yes, I've definitely done
this
!!! My children have told me that when they were 'growing up' and I did this, they simply turned off their 'hearing' capability, meaning that usually I never got my desired results, making me more angry or frustrated. Another 'lesson' I've tried to get across to them even now when they are in their thirties is that we cannot 'dictate' other folks' responses, thus we shouldn't get upset when we don't get the results we want.
this
!!! My children have told me that when they were 'growing up' and I did this, they simply turned off their 'hearing' capability, meaning that usually I never got my desired results, making me more angry or frustrated. Another 'lesson' I've tried to get across to them even now when they are in their thirties is that we cannot 'dictate' other folks' responses, thus we shouldn't get upset when we don't get the results we want. This is one category with which I have trouble - wanting to hear more from my 'e-pals'. My PC encompasses my 'social contacts' for the most part (and NO, I will NOT get Facebook). Yes, I call my 'dailies' and my Website my 'cyber ministry' which certainly never 'require' responses. It's the 'personal' messages I would enjoy more, and 'begging' is not 'adult' or even constructive. I wonder if that's how God feels, wanting us acknowledge Him 'on our own'?
That's why the following 'Coffee Break' of today really spoke to me. God will NEVER MAKE us talk to Him, that's part of what 'freedom of choice' is. However, and this is a 'Maggie-ism', I believe it hurts Him when we don't.
Hope you and yours are well. Maggie
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Coffee Break
"Trying To Hear"
"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Acts 9:5
How many times have you said, or heard someone else say, "The Lord is trying to tell us something."? I have been guilty of saying it. It almost conjures up the idea that God is having a hard time saying something - that is never true. It is not, "God is trying" to say something, instead we should be saying, "We are trying to hear what He is saying".
I understand what we mean when we say that, but the truth is that God never has to "try" to say anything, He just comes right out and says it. He doesn't have a hard time communicating or articulating His words or their meaning. When He wants to speak to us or get a message across to us, He knows just how to say it and He speaks plainly. Look in the Bible, every time God spoke to the people He spoke plainly and didn't "try" to give the message to them. He spoke plainly to Moses out of the burning bush. When Balaam was going to curse God's people, God spoke very clearly to him not to do it. When Saul encountered Him on the road to Damascus, He didn't try to tell Saul something, He spoke so clearly that immediately Saul repented of what he was doing and turned to wholeheartedly follow Jesus. The Lord spoke to David at Ziklag to pursue the enemy and take back what was stolen from him. He spoke clearly to the prophets-- He didn't "try" to tell them what He wanted to tell them.
Like I said earlier, we are the ones who are "trying to hear" what He is saying. For some reason we make it so difficult when really it isn't hard to hear. Jesus told us that His sheep would hear His voice. When we read His word, we are hearing Him speak, and speak plainly. For example, how much plainer can He get we He says, "Love you enemies, or do not commit adultery"?
He biggest hindrance to us hearing is called-- distraction. I can remember when I was growing up, if I was watching television and my mother came in and told me something, most of the time I would not hear what she said. It wasn't because she wasn't saying something I didn't understand (I knew what she meant when she said, "Go clean up your room."). But the television had my attention so I was not fully listening to what she was saying. I believe this (distraction in various forms) is what hinders us and keeps us "trying" to figure out what God is saying.
God has always spoken plainly. He has never had a hard time or struggled with what to say, how to say it or how to get the message across. It is us who are having the hard time hearing, but that is because we are either not listening or not listening attentively.
Have a great day. God is not having to try to tell us something, we are having a hard time trying to listen to what He is saying.
For further reading:
John 1:37;10:16;27 - "When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus." "I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd." "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me"
Revelation 3:20 - "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
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Revelation 3:20 - "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
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Coffee Break is written by Lorraine Ezell
About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.
I found this coffee break topic very interesting. I am guilty of "not hearing". There have been many times that I thought God was trying to tell me something or point me in the right direction. It was not until I stopped and really "listened" that I learned his message. I must say that I have learned to stop and listen more often. Thank you for this reminder! Once again great insight Maggie.
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Dear Sunday School,
Thank you always for reading, and for your comments. If anything I upload, write, etc. blesses someone, I give God all the praise and all the glory. I enjoy getting your 'feedbacks' and hope you keep them coming. Maggie
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nice blog, I like it.Thanks, keep the good work.
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Thanks for the kudos..... I'm glad that you've been enjoying it, and letting me know. Maggie
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