God, I hear you...

Think for a moment, if you can't listen well when conversing with other humans, are you really hearing from God in your time of devotion? In Vacation Bible School last week, I heard one of the Pastors say that even when you pray to God, there has to be a moment where you stop and listen for His response. Often we hear one say, I heard God say..., but in your time of reflection, ask - did I listen?

In the Bible, we witnessed multiple times when God spoke directly to or through someone, and His voice was simply heard. When a visitor told Abraham that Sarah would conceive, she laughed. When God told Moses - despite having a speech impairment - that he would go before Pharoah and request that the Israelites be released, his excuses kept coming. All Moses heard from God was that he would lead the Israelites but did not listen. I say that because he kept coming back with more, but I... a mouth filled with doubt. Those are just two examples, but believe it or not, it's common even today. We don't want to miss out on God's blessing because what we hear is so questionable that we are immediately defensive. We are only hearing what people or God is saying but not listening. When you listen, the details and expectations are precise, allowing you to be obedient and your trust in God to remain firm.

As you walk this life journey, ask yourself, am I hearing or listening? Listening achieves the best result; that's it, point blank. You don't have to practice with people, but if you want to be a better listener, pray, and remember to pause so that you can listen to God. As you listen to God, it will flow into your interactions with others and allow you to be a better listener with them.