Restart: Stepping Out in FaithSample

LISTENING TO GOD’S WORD When people hunger for God’s Word, they will seek after it until it is revealed to them. Here, the people ask Ezra, the priest and teacher, to read God’s Word to them. Everyone, including those children who were old enough to understand, stood for at least half a day to hear the Word of God being read. In our communities, many worship services are carefully timed to include a few minutes of devotion, homily, and singing. Are we like the people of Nehemiah’s day, listening carefully to God’s Word? How would our lives be transformed if we were to spend more time listening to God speak to us through his Word? The Scriptures tell us that we are blessed if we hunger and thirst for God’s Word (Matthew 5.6). We are fortunate that modern technology has given us myriad ways to access God’s Word—from MP3 players to the Internet to iPhones. All this, so God’s people can enter into God’s presence. Could we stand before God for such a long period of time and yet be attentive to his Word? What distractions do you think we may fall victim to and how could we minimize their effect? Have you ever experienced hunger for God’s Word? What action did you take? How will you respond when you discover that those in your own neighborhood are hungry for God’s truth? Pray: Lord God, we listen for your voice in your Word. Help us to feed hungry people with daily bread, and to feed hungry hearts with your Word—the bread of life.