Last year, as I was driving to church on a Sunday morning, I was in a deep funk. For many reasons, I was experiencing an emotional and spiritual valley. I prayed, trying to tell God where I was emotionally and spiritually, but the words didn’t come easy.
As I struggled, the song “Word of God Speak” by the group Mercy Me came on the radio. It’s a song I’ve heard dozens of times, but this time the lines of the first verse pierced me:
I’m finding myself at a loss for words,
and the funny thing is it’s okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard,
but to hear what You would say.
Whoa. I found myself chuckling at the timely message. Yes, there are times we need to unload and get things off our chests. But, in the end, being heard is not as essential as hearing what God is saying to us.
After pulling into our church parking lot, the verse “Be still, and know that I am God” came to mind (Psalm 46:10). I was starting to hear. I took a few minutes alone in my car before heading in. Quieting my heart, I listened to that “gentle whisper” of the Spirit (1 Kings 19:12-13). What I heard rescued me. It was just what my uncertain heart needed.
The song “Word of God Speak” goes on to say:
I’m finding myself in the midst of You,
beyond the music, beyond the noise.
All that I need is to be with You,
and in the quiet hear Your voice.
The New Testament tells us that Jesus “often” spent time alone so that He could pray to His Father (Luke 5:16). Take a page out of His Book and take time to listen to God speaking to your heart today.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ezra 3:7-13
More:
In the midst of being tempted, notice how Jesus emphasized the importance of hearing the Word of God (Matthew 4:4).
Next:
Create a quiet space to hear God speak to your heart today. Turn off the white noise and practice listening for His “gentle whisper.”
tcarr89 on April 28, 2012 at 12:38 am
I have a hard time distinguishing between myself, the devil, and God. I once thought He wanted this 23 yr old skinny white girl with glasses to go to Libya and preach to Muslim women who needed hope in the conflicted country. Many signs seemed to follow the “voice” and I seemed only to experience silence from the internal commotion when I agreed to go. But I didn’t know that you couldn’t get into the country without a government ID etc. Anyway, then I read Crazy Love again four months later and thought, “Maybe God wants me to move to skid row and preach to the lost THERE.” We were closer to LA than our last home had been. The same kind of feeling, the same conflict. I prayed one morning for God to take it away, because “You know how stupid I am with this stuff!!” if it wasn’t from Him — and instantly the conflict ceased, and it was QUIET inside my mind and my spirit, and I had a vision-like image of piles of garbage being shoved aside and a door glowing directly ahead of me.
So. Yeah. :/ How am I going to know what God wants me to do and what the Devil wants? I thought the command to go to Libya was from Him, because Jesus said His followers would be homeless and family-less, etc, and that we were to leave without telling our family good-bye, etc. /shrug
dabac on April 28, 2012 at 4:55 am
I know what you mean, tcarr!
I believe every Christian (whoever truly considers oneself a disciple) has similar doubts.
Before I became Christian, I thought my struggle will be exclusively between right and wrong, between obedience and sin. However, I could say not a day goes by that I haven’t had a struggle between decisions that are both good, sort to speak.
Should I spend time with my wife and daughter or go to the church meeting? Should I spend time with my friend who needs salvation or with my brother from the church? As I have flexible working hours, needless to say that my work “suffers” a lot. I know that God comes first, but also “who doesn’t work let him not eat”, so there’s another dilemma for me. Even now when I’m writing this, my family awaits for me…
So my opinion is this: whatever decision that you make, as long as it’s adequate with Word of God, stand by it and don’t feel bad about it. Quite contrary! God is pleased every time you do according to his word, no matter is it in Libya or LA or somewhere else.
God will stand by you then. Or he will teach you something new, if that what you decided was not his will.
You have a nice heart for God, keep it up!
tcarr89 on April 29, 2012 at 2:06 am
ahhh, yep, I totally understand about the dilemma! should I do this or this?? haha. I’m afraid of imbalance lol. I know that belonging to Jesus means I no longer do what I want to do… so does that mean I don’t take a shower or eat? Cuz I want to do those things… ya know?
GChoo on April 28, 2012 at 10:29 am
Thank you for today’s devo, Jeff. You are right, we truly need to spend the time to read, to pray and to stay silent to hear God speaking to us.
I have in the last one year prayed to God about doing short term overseas mission work and did feel this is where God will want me to do. I have been praying for many months and truly thought that overseas mission was where God is directing me. Out of the blue, my non christian husband told me that he had applied for us to be foster carer. Actually, it wasn’t really out of the blue. We had a brief chat over it some months ago when we saw in the papers and telly documentaries seeking for foster carers. I never gave it a thought thinking he will never do it. I was really surprised at his decision. We have been some months into this very intrusive process to be foster carer. I did pray for God to direct me to His plan for me and i do know now this is where He wants me to be and not out elsewhere. And, at the same time I feel God is bringing me and my husband to deepen our relationship and to complement our skills and personaliies to provide the care and support to the children He will bring into our home.
In this very recent experience, i believe that God will direct us to where He wants us to be when we ask for His plan for us. Sometimes it is what we ask for and sometimes it is something He knows we can contribute even more and be blessing others as well as ourselves. Stay close to God’s Word, keep praying and be still, you will know. God bless.
Luciana on April 28, 2012 at 10:35 am
Wow ! Wonderful !
Sometimes I feel wordless myself. Either it is because I am so sad or because I am so grateful to my Lord for giving me a new life.
These times are so special because then in this quietness I can dive into my Father’s words and simply listen to Him.
winn collier on April 28, 2012 at 11:29 am
that quiet place is what I’ve been sensing need for recently. very much.
tcarr89 on April 29, 2012 at 2:08 am
I’m going to start the 12 week study for a book called “Satisfy My Thirsty Soul” by Linda Dillow, all about the whys and the hows of truly soul-satisfying and God-glorifying worship, regardless of where you’re at…. hopefully this will help me!!