Today’s Scripture readings: Psalm 87; Psalm 90, Jeremiah 13:1-11, Romans 6:12-23, John 8:47-59
Today’s writer: Carl Waggoner
Are you listening?
Today’s reading from the 13th chapter of Jeremiah proclaims to Israel and Judah that they were to cling to God so that they might become His people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; BUT THEY WOULD NOT HEAR”. I feel this same sense of broken-hearted sadness in the voice of Jesus in Luke 13:34 “How often I wanted to gather your children together, … BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING”!
In contrast to these laments of our Triune God, how many times have we ourselves cried out in the depths of our souls when it seemed as if God himself was not listening and/or answering our cries for help? Apparently this was also a common experience of the Psalmist as expressed in many passages such as Psalm 102: 1-2, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, … Do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble. … answer me speedily”. (See also Ps 55:1-2, 88:1.)
Meditating on this I considered that just maybe it’s me who hasn’t followed Paul’s instruction very well given in today’s reading in Romans 6:13, “Do not present your members (my ears in this case) to sin as instruments for unrighteousness.” I certainly could turn off a lot of noise that I allow my ears to be bombarded with daily and listen more intently to that “still small voice” that comes to us all from our Heavenly Father. John tells us in chapter 8:47 that “Whoever is of God HEARS the words of God”.
I think I will make this a priority in prayer and meditation this Lenten season. How about you?
Are we listening?
