GOD'S SPEAKING....Are You Listening?

This is My Beloved Son, Listen to Him! (Mark 9:7)

Some of you may be old enough to remember the old E.F. Hutton commercial from the 1980s.  The one where the young professional is at a dinner party and says, "My broker is E.F. Hutton" and suddenly the room grows silent. Everyone stops talking.  The sound bite there was, When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen!  Wouldn't it be wonderful if God got the same response?

It reminds me of the story of young Samuel, Hannah's little boy who was put in the care of the prophet Eli over in the first book of Samuel (I Samuel 3:1-10).  It took both Samuel and Eli a minute to figure out it was God who was talking but they finally got it!  There are a lot of  us walking around here today who are still clueless!  We haven't the foggiest notion how to discern God's voice although He's talking to us every day through His Word, The Holy Spirit, Circumstances and People!

I think it's because of so many distractions.  Most of them self-imposed. Every thing and every one is in our ear but Him!  We don't listen when God talks because frankly, we're not sure who's talking--we don't recognize His voice!  This is true even if you're a regular church-goer. Don't get me wrong, there are many preachers and teachers who are faithfully expounding the truth of God's Word...but folks don't want to hear them. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Tim. 4:3-4)  My sisters it is very popular today to be spiritual but not necessarily holy! There's a big difference and weights are piling up on the spiritual side.

Another voice that we hear is that of the intelligentsia-the smart folks of our time.  They have an answer for every situation we find ourselves in. Today, it's all about getting needs met.  It doesn't matter whether it's biblical or not.  We can find a study, survey, or academician to support just about any stance we want to take to justify our behavior. 

Maybe you're thinking,  if I can't trust the preacher and I can't trust popular culture perhaps I should listen to myself--go with my gut!  Bad idea.  There's a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is destruction (Proverbs 14:12). So what are the steps you need to take to hear God. There are none!  No formula.  No quick, sure fire guarantees (after all this is not an infomercial!)
Just some conditions that the Bible says must be met:  

1.  You need a personal relationship with Christ based on love and trust--spend time with Him in His word, in prayer --talk to Him,  consult Him, obey Him! (2 Corin. 1:9)

2. Develop a heart of worship (Rom. 12:1-2; John 4:20-24).  Make God a priority, have an attitude of gratitude for everything. Give Him respect and honor.

3. Study His Word:  Read it, Meditate on it, Memorize it, Obey it!  Line upon line, precept upon precept. (Psalms 119: 97-99).  Let it be your counsel. 

4. Surrender your will, your thoughts and desires to His will! (Ps. 37:4; 2 Cor. 10:5, Phil. 2: 5-11)

So there you have it!  Let everyone who has an ear, let her hear what the Spirit says to the church..Now let's try this again...God's Talking...Are You Listening?