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Many times I've sat in church services and wondered what would God say if we just sat there and waited for Him to speak. One of the greatest experiences I've ever had with God is in the alone quiet times hearing His voice for that season. The one thing I believe my church is good at is during Wednesday night prayer is we stop for a moment and listen. However, I've been in other churches and services where the roar of worship and the shouts of our adoration have drowned out the quiet gentle whisper of the One we are longing to hear from. What would God say if we just stood there after the final worship song and were still? No words, no preacher speaking, no music, just silence. I feel the church gets uncomfortable with the silence and we feel the need to fill every second with sound that "pleases" God, but could the most pleasing sound to God at that moment be just the sound of hearts yielding and expecting Him to speak? If we took a moment and asked God where are you putting me this week, who here needs a word, who out there needs a word, who can I lay hands on, who can I take to lunch and let them vent. How much more functioning would we be in the gifts if we just waited to hear how we could be used in it. One thing I've noticed in churches everywhere is that people are unaware of the gifting that God has placed inside them. Christians are walking around in the battle without a gun or without knowing what weapon that God has implanted in their very DNA to capture a soul. Why is that? They don't ask and listen. We have become very good at saying, "Hey God, am I supposed to be a prophet? Teacher? Worship Leader? or Greeter?" but we fail to listen to the answer and we try positions that God has not designed us for and we go back to sitting in the pew confused and frustrated once again.
Lately I've really been going through lessons that God has been wanting me to learn. At times it's frustrating and extremely overwhelming, but at different milestones of this season you get to see what God has done and is still doing. I don't believe that us as Christians can go through these refining seasons without being still and hearing God's loving rebuke and encouragement. Let me personalize it, when we constantly get rebuked (in love) by other Christians we tend to get offended and undeniably snippy with them. Since we cannot humanly grasp God (THANK GOD) we often identify God subconsciously as human. As well, some how in our humanness we believe God is wrong and has no clue what He is doing. Convicted yet? We tend to get mad and offended with God. When we make a point to spend time with God, especially in those seasons, we get the revelation of God's love and purpose for the season. How does one get these revelations? By LISTENING when reading the Word, by sitting and LISTENING, and after praying.....LISTENING. It's amazing what happens when we take the focus off of us and listen. Some people's Word of the Lord for their life is simply Shut Up! Shut up with God and other people. I am naturally an observant and quiet person, but when something is upsetting me I need to talk. I believe everyone needs to do that on occasions because it's Biblical to distribute the burden. If you're always talking and talking and distributing your burden, but not listening to an other's God-given direction or their need you are robbing yourself from peace and a blessing. We all have met that person who talks and talks and talks and you can't get a word in edgewise. How frustrated and annoyed do you get? Imagine God for a minute. All you do all day is talk and all He asks is simply for 5 or 10 minutes that He can help YOU, but you in your pride and ignorance believe you have the better answer for the problem and surely will tell God all about it. The One who knew how to create a World, how to design and fashion a human, and how to sustain everything He created, has the answer to every one of our problems and is freely giving it us if we listen. It's just so simple. Listen. Just listen. We can listen to the negativity in our life, or the gossip of our neighbors, or we can take time to listen to secular music or TV, but not listen to the One who gives and takes away.
Words can't describe God the incomprehensible peace that comes with knowing Him. The Anchor in the waves, The Solid Rock, The Cornerstone, The Steadfast Love, The Strong Tower, The Victorious Warrior, The Giver of Life. My Jesus is all of them and much more than I could ever put into words. "God's loyal love couldn't have run out, His merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left." (Lamentations 3:22-24 MSG)
There's nothing I'd rather do in the refining time or the up times then listen to the Word of the Lord and Be Still and that HE IS GOD.
