God, Are You Listening?নমুনা

God speaks.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:16-17

This passage shows God speaking a precise command to Adam. Given that the instructions were quite detailed concerning Adam's well-being and safety, one would assume that the matter would be handled more seriously. But we all know the story about Adam and Eve’s disobedience.

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life …” – Genesis 3:17

From the world being formed by God speaking it into existence, to God rebuking Adam and Eve for their disobedience, to now, He is still speaking to us. In His own words, God declares, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God; I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me ...” – Isaiah 45:5

I'm sure we can agree that Adam and Eve's disobedience is our misfortune. So the question now is not whether God speaks, but do we listen? Are we picking up the receiver to respond to His call? Are we living by His Word? Or are we merely existing and being compromised by the world to ignore it?

Time to Reflect:

Reflect on a time that God spoke to you, either directly or indirectly. What did He say? What was your response? Describe the circumstances that were taking place during this time. Should you find it helpful, write down your reflections. Keep a journal as you continue to record your encounters with God.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to me through Your Word. When I can’t hear your voice, I know that You speak through people and circumstances, too. Whenever Satan tempts me to think otherwise, I will stand on Your Word and counter every lie that he tells. You were the God of Abraham, and you are my God now. Your Word will stand forever (see Isaiah 40:8). In the name of the only one that matters, in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.