I have returned to the blogging world. My wife and I continue to do ministry at Penn State. Our baby will be here in 8 days or less!
This past semester we have been speaking on spiritual rhythms at CSF. Last Tuesday I spoke about the listening to God. The following are some of the thoughts I shared.
There’s a difference between knowing truths about someone
and knowing someone. Example: Have you heard of God’s goodness or have you
experienced his goodness for yourself? God doesn’t want us to just know things
about him. He wants us to know him personally.
How we get to know someone personally is by spending time
with them. But in our culture today undivided attention is at a premium. We
talk to one friend, and text another. When we think about it, our lives are
very noisy.
In 1 Kings 19:1-18, there’s a story about a man who hears
from God, but has to look beyond the noise to do so. Elijah was a man on the
run, ready to throw in the towel. Elijah desperately needed to hear
encouragement from God.
But when God speaks, he doesn’t speak in a spectacular or
supernatural way. Instead God spoke to Elijah as a gentle whisper.
God still speaks to us today, but often His voice is drowned
out by the noise in our own lives. When Jesus was on earth, his life became
very noisy with all the crowds following him to see miracles, or to hear his
teaching. When Jesus needed time with God the Father, he would separate himself
and seek quiet time with God. In Mark 1:34 we read:
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus
got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
If you desire to know God personally and not just know
things about him, then you will have to cut the noise out of your life,
detaching yourself for a little while in order to hear that still small voice.
Don’t be afraid to turn your phone off for 15-30 minutes. If
you’re out for a drive, leave the radio off, and spend time praying to God. God
wants uninterrupted time with you. You will have to decide how much you want to
experience God.
