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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Are You Listening?

Lately, I have been trying to draw parallels between our natural children and God's children by grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Children, I have noted previously, are hungry, humble, and trusting, all qualities that we need to be growing toward as we walk with our Lord. This morning, in my reading of Ps. 81, I saw a similarity of a negative component of children as God says "If my people would just listen to Me!"

I don't have to remind parents that children do not listen very well, at times. (That is, unless it is something they are not supposed to hear :) ). Their attention span isn't very long and we who have raised them can remember the times when we had to call them back as they "flew" to their bedrooms or outside to play and repeat our instruction because we knew they did not "get it."  I recall the procedure now of getting them "eye to eye" with me so they would clearly understand the thought that I was trying to convey to them. You see, "eye to eye" cuts out the distractions, kind of similar to the husband into the football game and the wife asking- "did you hear, Honey, I wrecked the car?" And his reply is "Yes, Dear, that is great. Oh, stupid ref, that guy was out of bounds!" 

I write to myself today and hopefully it will also be a challenge to you who take the time to drop by and read. Am I listening to Him? Am I, like Martha, too distracted with lesser things and missing the best?  He is speaking, you know? What is He saying to me? Am I so busy that I am not even discerning that it is His voice? Are the other loud, tyranny of the urgent, shouts drowning out His wooing?  Jesus told us in John 10- "And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice."  Do we need to get "eye to eye" with Him again? Has it been too long as we hurry on our way- doing what?, I ask myself. David said in Ps.141:8 "But mine  eyes are unto Thee, O God, the  Lord..." and we can assuredly believe that His are on us, His beloved children. 1 Peter 3:12:" For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."  I love the verses in Ps. 32 when David says of God- "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."  Oh, if we would gaze on Him in His Word and meditate about His wonders. They are all around us- are we missing them? David say in verse 9 "Don't be like the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee."
     
The writers of the N. T. often reminds us to not be ignorant, especially concerning the last days. "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." 1 Cor.14:20.I look and grieve as I realize that America isn't listening. There are sobering words in Prov. 1 concerning those who refuse to listen to God's wisdom which isn't anything like man's puny reasoning. Wisdom has cried out but a stubborn people refused to listen and these words are powerful: "They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."  I heard an argument recently stemming from a comment that "radical" Christianity is as dangerous to the world as "radical" Islam. Their example was the Westboro Baptist Church, whom, may I say, I find sickening and nothing like our Lord. But to equate people who hold signs and shout despicable things to enemies who fly planes with little children excited about going to Disney World, into buildings with hundreds of working people, is ludicrous. One probably has freedom of speech issues and the other is the killing of human beings.  I asked myself- "How do minds get so hardened and darkened?" The answer is, of course, they have refused to listen to the instruction of God's Word and now we live in a sin-sick society. Yes, I believe the Bible. I don't apologize about it and am not of the persuasion that any way is a good way so long as you are sincere, regardless of the argument from the enlightened generation who thinks we in the Bible belt need to go to college and get a degree. America has refused the Book, thinks it was for another era, that only the foolish believe it any longer and as Preacher Bud used to say- "Put me in that camp- a fool for Christ!"

Dear Reader, is He gently calling to you to look Him in the eye and hear what He has to say?  Many believers even shy from this Biblical principle of discipline but some times, He will do what He has to do to get our attention, just as you have done with your kids whom you love so much that you would die for.  I remember a time when Danny gave his nephew a spanking and Jamie still remembers it today. He had admonished him, rather strongly, about three times to not ride his big wheel into the street and I heard a commotion as I saw my husband running as fast as I had ever seen him go to drag the 5 year old from the curvy car-approaching  highway. As he threw the big wheel aside, he gathered up  that boy in those strong arms and spanked him all the way back to the house. Do you know why he did that? He loves his only sister's only child and wanted to get his message across loud and clear. Jamie admits that he made his point and his mark on his backside.
    
Be assured, dear one, that what He is saying is good, He is wiser, He has been ahead of you, He sees the bigger picture and He is passionate for His glory and for good to proceed from your journey on earth. He still speaks- are we listening?
 - Deborah

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