Declutter Now! 30 Day DevotionalSample

Learning to Hear God

If you went to lunch with a friend and did all the talking, is there the possibility your friend might get offended? Bored? Irritated? Might they think you were totally self-absorbed and uninterested in them? If you did this on subsequent meetings, is there a decent chance that at some point, your friend would tire from not being able to engage in the conversation and decide to stop meeting with you?

Most would say, "YES!" to all of the above.

None of us enjoys a one sided conversation where we are to sit silent while the other party rambles on and on, spewing a never ending stream of words.

It’s the same with God! Well, kind of. Yes, as we discussed yesterday, a daily, consistent, heartfelt prayer life is a vital part of our relationship with him. He never tires of hearing from us and values everything we bring to him, but he also desperately desires for us to hear him as well. How can we hear what God has to say, though, if we don’t stop talking long enough to let him get a word in edgewise? How can we take direction and obtain his counsel if we aren’t available to hear what he’s got to say? Simply put, we can’t.

In the clutter of our loud, demanding, and busy lives, it’s easy to get so caught up in the talking that we don’t close our mouths long enough to hear a thing. I don’t know about you, but if God is speaking to me, I sure want to hear what he’s got to say! We must pause to hear his voice and embrace his wisdom. As Lindon often says, “We have one mouth and two ears for a reason!”

What will you declutter? Missing out on God’s wisdom and counsel, and not fully developing your relationship with him.