Last night was the first night for our Tuesday Night Bible Study Group to meet for this session. We are working through "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla Shirer. The DVD we watched last night REALLY spoke to me. One thing that she she said that keeps playing over and over in my head is that we have to be prepared to hear Him in order to know when we hear Him.
Raising children has taught me so much about the Lord. Most of the time, whatever I say to my children in a moment of discipline or correction, I hear the Lord say, "You too, Jamie." Listening and really hearing what I say is something we have worked on since my children were really small. My son is 16 and his mind is always on music, songs, lyrics, or computers. He is super talented but not always fully attentive to what I am saying. He likes to hangout in the kitchen with me and talk while I am getting things done. A lot of those times, I use him to put things up or hand me things from either the pantry or refrigerator. Recently, I was making sandwiches and I handed him the mayonnaise and sandwich meat and said, "Put this all back in the refrigerator". He never skipped a beat in his sentences as he chattered right through my instructions. I later went to the pantry to get something and there sat my quart of mayonnaise and a package of sandwich meat. My first thought was, "He never heard me because he was so busy talking about what was on his mind. In his distraction he just put it in the pantry and not the refrigerator. He needs to really listen when I speak and things like this would not happen." Well, you probably know what happened next. I hear in my heart that I am no different. OUCH! I know that God must be thinking those same exact things about me. He wants me to stop talking about what is on my mind long enough to hear Him and know what to do. I have been guilty of doing things that I am certain are the opposite of what God has tried to tell me. I have been guilty of standing up after some time with Him and never really waiting to hear what He was saying.
I am really looking forward to this study. Those that know me, know that I love to talk. Nobody knows that better than God! I am going to take the time to listen so that I do not miss a thing!
Love the application! I envy you those "last days" of your children at home with you. I, like you, was constantly busy in mind and body and so much of the time took for granted those moments when the "children" were chattering away to me. Now, (hind-sight), I hope that I would just STOP and listen! I really miss those years...
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes....I far too often am babbling away or busying myself, while all along my Father is speaking to me. Am I hearing what He is saying, or am I only "half-way listening"...and I put the Mayo and Lunch Meat in the pantry instead of the fridge.
Good stuff!!!