Listen Closely

This week is one in which God continues to remind me about the importance of listening for and listening to His Voice which will provide direction and guidance. I continue to feel the urgency of this message as I read the Bible and listen to the unction of the Spirit. In a recent conversation with a young believer he asked the following question; "How can I hear the Voice of God?" I began to share my thoughts concerning some of the various ways in which God can reveal His message to each of us. Upon the conclusion of this portion of  our conversation the young man made the following observation; "I need to pay closer attention to the sound of His Voice and listen with a desire to respond to His direction." I was blessed with this thoughtful and deliberate insight. We must pay attention and live with a desire to apply the revealed principles of God to our individual lives. The Voice of God will not lead us astray rather it will lead us into eternal life and to an earthly life that can please our Heavenly Father. Will we accept the challenge of this youthful believer and pay close attention to what God is saying to us individually as well as collectively? I would like to share some insight that Charles Stanley shared in a recent devotional.

Listening to God is not a onetime event. We must continually keep His Word before us, or we'll begin to listen to the wrong voices.

In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and did not hold firmly to her Creator's words. All that Satan had to do was plant a single doubt about God's integrity and offer Eve one appealing advantage of doing things her own way—and she fell for it. He mentioned wisdom, but using her own reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists truth to convince us that a) God cannot be trusted and b) His ways are not the best. In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.

The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, consider the messages that are sent your way through the media and people. Consciously begin to compare them to what Scripture says about God and His ways.

Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Daily devotions won't protect us if they're quickly forgotten during the day. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes (Matt. 4:1-11).