All You Have To Do Is Listen

I have been going to church for a long time, listening to pastors talk about listening to God, doing God’s will, God will speak to you. There are countless passages in the bible about people that were spoken to by God or by the Holy Spirit. Remember Paul on the road to Damascus, or how Moses talked with God through a burning bush. There are countless other biblical characters that have been spoken to by God and written about in the bible.

So, why haven’t I heard voices calling to me from any of my trees in my backyard?
And why, when I have been nasty to my wife or friends, doesn’t God intervene with a bolt or a flash of lightning that blinds me for a second, followed by a loud, tremendous deep voice saying, "My son, why have you forsaken me?"

The answer is…..He Has!

God’s Voice

When I was a small child, I remember my parents told me not to eat candy from strangers. Yes, this is as old as the day rule, but one that every parent teaches their children. But the day came when I was playing at a friend’s house and we all decided to play hide and seek, and I chose to hide behind a propane tank that was located behind some stranger’s house. Crouched down behind the tank, I could hear my friend’s feet stomping around close by, and when I looked around the tank, not only did I see my friends, but there was a large bag of candy there as well! Woo-Hoo! Jackpot!

I then heard the loud deep voice, "Don’t eat candy from strangers" rattling between my ears. "But a stranger didn’t really GIVE it to me, so it must be alright", I thought. The voice was even louder, which made me glance to see if Mom was looking.

The voice was there, I just chose not to listen.

Then there was the time in the 4th grade, when all of the students were on the playground. The game of the day was, "Beam the other guy in the head with a rock!" Rule #1 at our school was "Do Not Throw Rocks!" The game was fun, there had to have been at least 50 kids out there, lots of targets! Then there was that loud deep voice again, as I picked up the rock and beamed Robby H. in the head.

That voice has always been there. I remember it now, now that I am older. Some people call that a conscience. Some people were born without consciences and do mean and terrible things without feeling any remorse. I personally believe differently. I believe that yes, it is my conscience, and God made my conscience, just like he made your conscience as well. God also made the consciences of the "evil doers", to coin a fraise. But do they feel no remorse for evil activity? Perhaps, or maybe the calluses of sin have made it so that God’s voice is no longer heard.

We all have been there, Saturday night out with the girl friend at the ball game or the dance. You pick your date up, and she looks spectacular. Wow! The other guys are going to drool when they see her draped across your arm. Now, the thoughts of promiscuity are running through your mind. The loud deep voice is there louder than ever, but you don’t listen.

These experiences we have all encountered at one point or another in our lives. The loud voice has always been there. We either ignored it, thought that it was just our conscience and chose to ignore it because our parents just don’t want us to have any fun. Or maybe the voice is so faint, because we haven’t talked to God in a very long time, and we forget what His voice sounds like. I find that this one is probably the answer that best fits most of us.

So, when the pastor is standing up on the stage talking to us about having a relationship with God, or being closer to God, can you hear God’s voice saying "Come"? Or do you find yourself looking around the packed room wondering what time it is or if there is anyone there that will recognize you? Your conscience must be talking to you, because you are feeling embarrassed.

God’s Plan

I know that when we all come into this world that God has a plan for our lives. Each one of us is special to God and unique in our own way. God says that "each hair on our head is numbered", which tells me that God knows me better than I can ever know myself.

But do you know God’s plan for your life? That is one of life’s enormous secrets that each and every one of us struggles to no end to learn. What am I supposed to do in my life? Is this all I was meant to be? Why can’t I find a job that I like? Why are all my relationships always failing?
Some of these questions as well as many more go through my head on a daily basis. I am sure that there are countless other people out there that are struggling with similar ones as well. How to find God’s plan for our lives?

I believe that this question is easily answered. I said, easily answered, not immediately answered. God wants to have a relationship with us, ALL of us. I believe that this question can be answered when we submit our lives to Him. "What does that mean?", you ask. Let me have the honor of telling you.

1- We are all sinners in the eyes of God. And God hates sin. But God loved us so much that he sent his only son to die, so that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

I know, we all have heard or seen that one before, probably hanging on a banner at a football game in the end zone. And why would any father send his son to be killed, especially knowing that he will be killed? Who would do such a thing?

Back in the day before Jesus was born, the ritual that the people practiced was to ward off the wrath of God by confessing their sins to God and then sacrificing their best lamb for God. This was considered the way that God would forgive your sins and peace would be in the valley. Well, do I have to kill a lamb for every sin that I make, or is one lamb good enough for all my sins? How about the sins of my kids, or spouse? Are they also forgiven or do they need to kill a lamb each for all their sins? What happens if we run out of lambs, or if we do not own any lambs?
Jesus was the "Lamb of God" that placed all the sins of mankind on Him, all we have to do is confess in our heart that we are sinners, and accept Jesus as our personal savior, our personal "lamb".

2- Once we have accepted Jesus into our lives as our personal savior, we can then rejoice and begin to grow, knowing that God is now with us. GOD IS NOW WITH US!! God lives in our hearts on a daily basis. I know that some of you are married or involved with a significant other in some capacity or another. How many of you remember the day when you would hold hands and go for long walks on the beach? How many remember the hours that you spent talking on the phone whispering gentle sweet nothings in each other’s ear? And if you mastered the art of communicating with your spouse or significant other, then you now enjoy a very loving relationship where sometimes you don’t even have to speak to each other because you know what the other thinks, feels, needs, and desires. You are that close.

God wants that kind of relationship with you as well. He wants to spend time with all of us talking, praying, and whispering sweet praises in his ear. As you begin to develop your relationship with God, just the way that you did with your spouse, you will notice something remarkable happening in your life. He will speak to you and give you direction in your life that will be as clear as the day in long. And you will hear Him, just the same way that you knew what your spouse was thinking, even when she didn’t say a thing.

3- The last thing to do in order to find God’s plan for your life, is to serve. You say, "How can serving do anything for determining the plan for my life? I barely have enough time to get everything done as it is!" That is an excellent question that I think that we all ask. Let me answer that question by returning back to the example of a good marriage. How’s this going to work for you? "Honey, I love you so much, but I don’t have time to take out the garbage or cut the lawn because me, Jimmy and the boys are going to watch the ball game". If that kind of activity goes on for any length of time, do you think that your spouse is going to believe that you are madly in love with her? Of course not. There will be turmoil, fights, and uneasiness. The once close relationship that you and your spouse enjoyed will be replaced by a division between you. Your life plan will seem uncertain!

The bible says that our God is a jealous God, and we should not put anything else before him, as stated in the 10 commandments. When we serve Him, we are putting him first, and erasing the division between Him and us. Now let’s try this one instead, "Honey, I took the garbage out, and cut the grass, and there were some really pretty wild flowers that were growing in the back yard that I thought that you might enjoy, so I put them in a vase for you. The big game is on today, and me, Jimmy and the boys would like to see it. I will be home by 6, and I have dinner reservations at Sal’s for us tonight." Now that is putting her first! God wants the same thing. And when God’s happy, everyone is happy! He will bring opportunities your way that you may never have seen before. God will unravel His plan for your life right before your eyes.

Get involved in your Church, in out-reach programs like Christian Life, and in your community. When someone says that you are really great, give the glory to God. The bible teaches us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God…and all these things will be given unto you!" Put God first in everything you do. Your reward will be great!

Just Listen!

Times have been rough these days with the economy sinking into a depression. Thousands of jobs have been lost, businesses have closed their doors after being in operation for years, families are being disrupted, and communities are feeling the strain. These are really difficult times for all of us. As I write this, I am without a job going on 6 months. But I know there are others that have been without employment for much longer than I. All these problems!! What are the answers?

The answer I believe is written clearly in the bible. We are not the only ones that faced terrible times. I am reminded of the story when Jesus and his disciples were in a boat crossing the sea, Jesus had gone to sleep, and the winds began to pick up, the seas began to be angry, and the boat was taking on water and was in danger of sinking. The disciples were in fear of losing their lives, and called out to Jesus. And what did Jesus say? "Be still!" I believe that the answer to all our problems is, "Be still, and know who I am". Why should we worry about what is going to happen in our lives when "even the wind obeys His command."

This is so hard to do when your whole world is crumbling down around you. I am there too. With no job, no one hiring, all the businesses that I have talked to are laying off. It seems easy to give up hope and become depressed. But I believe that is when God is talking to you the most saying, "Follow Me." There is all the noise of everything crashing down all around you, and hearing God’s voice is difficult, and spending time with Him is even more difficult.

I had been trying to find a job for some time and had been praying continuously about this everyday. I asked my parents to pray for me, I asked my sister, and all my friends as well. Some time before, I had signed up at my church to serve in the Children’s Ministry. I needed to go to an introductory class to learn about the program and to meet the director and staff members. I had a lot going on with the loss of my job, the searching for another job, we were also just moving into our new home that I had been building for the past year and a half. My wife reminded me that maybe I had too much on my plate and that maybe I should not go to the introductory class that evening. I let that play on my mind for a good long while, and then finally made the decision. No, I will put God first! So I went. That evening went great. I really enjoyed meeting all the people there and learning about the program. When I was asked what I did, I stood and said that I was a pilot. Later, when I had the opportunity, I was chatting with the director and relayed to her that there may be times that I might not be able to come to volunteer, as I was on call to fly as a contract pilot with Carolina Tractor. Her eyes lit up. "Oh", she said, "My husband is a VIP for Carolina Tractor, I will have him put a good word in for you." I could feel the hair all over my body tingling, something I had felt many times before.

God works in mysterious ways. No, wait…God works in His Perfect Way. I told my father what had happened, how I almost decided not to go, but at the last minute, re-thought my decision. He sat me down in the garage and we had one of the most memorable, most special moments I have ever had with my father. He said, "Son, follow God, keep praying, keep praying all the time. And then…Listen! All you have to do is listen!" God will speak to us, and we will hear him, if we would just listen.

So, what should we do with all these uneasy times happening all across the world? The answer is: Get straight with God, put Jesus in our hearts, spend precious time with Him, and serve Him. Then when things are so loud that we can’t hear ourselves think, "Stop, be still, and know who I am." Just Listen! The answer will be given to us, if we would just listen.

I have learned over the years, to really spend time with God. I believe that God speaks to everyone differently. Paul was blinded by a brilliant light and then God’s voice spoke to him; Mary was spoken to by Gabriel, an angel of God; and Moses chatted with God through a burning bush. God spoke to my sister through a beam of light that ran through her body one evening. I have learned that when God is in my presence, and is speaking to me, all the hair on my body stands on end. I get the chills. It is the weirdest feeling, and yet it is the most comforting feeling for me, because I know that God is with me.

I hope that this short dissertation will help you find God’s path for your life. The answers to life’s most difficult questions are easy, they’re written in the manual. God’s manual on how to live life properly. He calls it the Bible, the Living Word of God. Spend time in the Word. Put your worries in God’s hands, and then…Listen!