Listen Up

I have a very precocious, intellectual and sweet four year old granddaughter. She spent a few days with me last week. Almost without exception, the only time she isn’t asking questions is when she is asleep. I began to notice an interesting rhythm to her questions. She just kept them coming. One after another. She wasn’t stopping long enough to allow me to respond. “Nana, when are we going to be home?” “Nana, what are the chickens doing right now?” “Nana, can I play with the chickens when we get home?” “Nana, when are we going to be home?” “Nana, what are Napoleon and Nola (my dogs) doing right now?” “Can I feed them?”  You get the idea.

Finally, I quit trying to respond and waited for her pause. When she was listening I did my best to give a general answer that seemed to satisfy her. 

And I wonder how much of the time, the scenario is the same between God and I. 

Exchanges occur between experiencing God, participating in life following the nudges of the spirit within us and learning to trust in the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. 

Falsely believing the responsibility lies within us to care for ourselves, an attitude of “I” and for the “power” of me dilutes everything the scriptures teach us. This belief puts us at the center of our own universe. A very unstable, dangerous place to be. The One who created this universe, the One who created each creature and each of us and the One who offers us eternal life beyond this earthly one – there, in Him, lies the secret of living this temporary life well on this beautiful earth. Parts of us want to relinquish the lies of the world. Yet, parts of us want to hold on to them because they have become comfortable and “safe” places. The comfort of the known vs the uncomfortable space of the unknown.

The questions we ask – “who is God – where is He – why do I care – how do I know He exists – why would He love me – is there life after our short span here on earth” –  we are seeking, yet earnestly wanting to know the answers and being still long enough to discover those answers are tough. Just like my granddaughter. One after the other, never waiting to hear the answers.

It is important my friends that we choose what and who we will put our trust in. Who do we believe? What motivates our decisions? Where does the core of our belief system lie? How are we going to live the rest of our days? When are we going to make our choice? 

I have many scriptures I turn to when I come to the crossroads requiring me to make choices. These are just a few.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14-15 NIV

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.””

James 4:13-15 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””

Psalm 46:10 NIV

“ My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Keep them in your heart. They are life to those who find them. They are health to your whole body. Above everything else, guard your heart. It is where your life comes from.                                       Proverbs 4:20–23 NIrV

Being still and waiting on God to respond to my questions is essential in my relationship growing deeper. 

I need to look above for the answers and quit looking at the world around me.

Just like my granddaughter, I need to give pause long enough for Him to answer my questions and fill that empty space in me. 

And He will. And we will become comfortable in the space of the unknown because we have learned it is possible and life is well when we realize God is there.

I choose God and His promises.

I pray for you, my readers. 

“Lord, may Your words we read in scripture bring us a confidence as we make choices and decisions every day. Lord, please fill us with Your Godly wisdom to become the best living examples of Your creation. Help us, God, to let the world around us become aware of how powerful Your love for us is. Use us Lord to show others who are seeking the higher power they have not yet found. We praise You, Lord! Thank You for being so present in our world. Thank You for forgiving us our sins. I pray Lord that we have the courage to forgive others the way You have forgiven us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Author: Janet Reeger

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