Are You Listening? - Day 186 Month 7-5 Week 27-4
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
1 Samuel 2:12-3:21, Proverbs 1:20-33, Lamentations 1:1-10, Acts 18:1-22
Are You Listening?
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder why? I'm generally a very good sleeper. Usually, I put my head on the pillow and I'm asleep within minutes, sometimes even seconds. Then I wake up around 5:30 because, as I'm getting older, my bladder decides it's time to get up. Most mornings I can go right back to sleep for another hour or so.
Every now and then, though, I'll wake up several times during the night. Sometimes it's because my mind is busy, but other times there's no obvious reason. When that happens, I've found that one of the best responses is simply, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."
Sylvia has often shared similar experiences with me. Someone will come to her mind, sometimes a person she hasn't spoken to or seen in quite a while. Their name keeps returning to her thoughts, and eventually she'll either contact them or, just as often, they'll contact her first. Over time, Sylvia has become more aware of these moments and tries to act upon them in a timely manner.
In today's reading, Samuel didn't realize it was God calling him. He assumed Eli was calling instead. When Eli understood what was happening, he wisely told Samuel to respond, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." God was speaking to Samuel.
I believe God still speaks to us today, although often in quieter ways. When I wake up for no obvious reason, I try to pause and listen. When Sylvia repeatedly has a person’s name come to mind several times seemingly for no reason, it’s an opportunity to pray or contact them. Sometimes those moments lead to meaningful conversations that otherwise might never have happened.
God speaks to each of us differently. He doesn't speak to Sylvia in exactly the same way He speaks to me. We aren't psychic. As followers of Jesus, we believe God's Holy Spirit is part of us and gently guides us. Learning to recognize His leading is part of growing in our faith.
The challenge is not whether God will speak to us. The challenge is whether we are willing to listen and act upon what we believe Him to be saying to us.
If you've never experienced that for yourself, I encourage you to explore who Jesus is. Following Him begins with trusting Him, turning your life toward Him, and making Him the foundation of your life. It is a life changing decision, and one I don’t regret. If you'd like to talk about that, feel free to email me. My email address is below.
Have a great day!
Steve
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