The Art of Listening to God’s Voice
A Story of Misplaced Expectations
Imagine a man who boldly challenged God to reveal Himself in a dramatic display of power. “Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God,” he prayed. “Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God. Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God.” And then, he waited.
Expecting the Obvious
The man positioned himself near a bush, a wall, and the sea, anticipating a spectacular display of divine intervention. But God had other plans. Instead of a burning bush, God sent fire to ignite a passion in a church. Instead of crumbling walls, God demolished the barriers of sin in people’s lives. And instead of calming the waves of the sea, God brought peace to a troubled soul.
Missing the Point
However, the man was so focused on the physical manifestations he had requested that he failed to recognize God’s subtle yet profound responses. He looked at the bushes, walls, and seas, but neglected to examine the hearts, lives, and souls that God was truly concerned with. As a result, he concluded that God had done nothing.
A Question of Hearing
One day, the man turned to God and asked, “Have you lost your power?” But God’s response was piercing: “Have you lost your hearing?” The man had been so fixated on his own expectations that he had failed to listen to God’s gentle whispers.
The Power of Listening
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:8, “Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find.” But are we truly listening to God’s responses? Are we looking for Him in the obvious places, or are we willing to hear His voice in the stillness of our souls? The power of God is not always dramatic, but it is always present. Will we learn to listen?
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