Prayer: Father, I am guilty of not listening to Your voice. May I be ever diligent to listen to Your voice and only Your voice. It is so easy to listen to the many voices of the world. Help me to listen to only one, only Yours. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 81 key: vs. 11-13
11 I am Adonai your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
12 But My people did not listen to My voice.
Israel was not willing to be Mine.
13 So I gave them over
to the stubbornness of their heart,
to walk in their own counsels.
Attention: Did your mother ever say to you, “You never listen to me. It is like I am just talking to the air. I can talk to you till I am blue in the face, and you still just go out and do whatever you want.”
Each of us may have had one challenging child to raise. James Dobson is quoted as saying;
“The Lord gave me this challenging child for a purpose. He wants me to mold and shape this youngster and prepare him or her for a life of service to Him. And I’m up to the task. I’m going to make it with the Lord’s help.”
― James C. Dobson, The New Strong-Willed Child
In your household there may or may not have been consequences. But with God, there are consequences to not listening and disobeying His law. Today’s passage in the Psalms reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 1: 24, 26 and 28 where he states in three verses, that “God gave them over … to the evil desires of their hearts, God gave them up to shameful passions, and God gave them over to a depraved mind.” All were consequences of not listening to Him.
Just as God did to His covenant people, so He will do with us. Shall we heed to plea of Adonai through the mouthpiece of the psalmist, “Oh that My people would listen to Me… and walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes.” Do we believe God? Do we want Him to act on our behalf against our enemies? He promises it is as easy as my listening to Him.
Action: I will seek to apply active, obedient listening to God through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.
Yield: I am yielded to God when I am listening.
Engaged: I am engaged with God when I am listening to Him.
Relationship: I am in relationship when I am actively and obediently listening to God.
Prayer: Father, tune my ears to hear You and only You. Shut down and quiet the distracting noise of the world narrative. Silence the lies and misinformation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Memory Verse: Luke 10:16
16 The one who listens to you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Music Video: Chris McClarney ~ I’m Listening (Lyrics) Ft. Hollyn