This morning I awoke half an hour earlier than planned with a string of words in my head. I believe God was speaking to me and I wish I wrote down immediately what I heard. I grabbed my phone instead and did what I normally do. Check everything. Because the way to start your day is always focused on social media.
I think it’s time to let conviction sink in about my before-I-get-out-of-bed routine. Because, how can we hear God speak if all we’re attending to are the voices of others & ourselves?
I’m not so sure that the whole phrase was something I was meant to focus on, but rather the word which stood out louder and clearer than all the rest.
Cornerstone
Today, I was going to finish that post on prayer I’ve been trying to write for a few days now. But this word firmly stuck. It reverberated so loudly it couldn’t be ignored.
As I approached my desk and lay out my Bible to return to Isaiah or Jeremiah, where I’ve been anchored to the last few days, it lay flat to Luke 7 and the verses I highlighted in pink, verses 44-49.
Build Your House on the Rock
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. ~ Luke 7:44-49
That listening to God thing? That thing which I’ve been pursuing with my fellow Rise Up Writers, it’s something I need just as much as anyone.
Sometimes we can’t hear His voice because there are hindrances in our way. The Rise Up Writers team is asking God to reveal these hindrances in our lives so that we can hear Him clearly. It may be unforgiveness, bitterness rooted deep, pride, selfish motives, and a number of other things.
We tend to blame God for our not hearing Him, when it might just be that we aren’t listening, or preparing out hearts to listen.
How often do we call out to God and beg for His answers, but balk at His reply?
Sometimes we do hear his voice, and we just plain don’t like it. We want a different answer. We want it to be easier. We want him to do all the work for us. So we ignore it. Rationalize it away. Justify all the reasons it couldn’t have come from God.
We make excuses to not hear God rather than take him at His word. Especially words which nudge our hearts because the Holy Spirit is prompting conviction, trust and greater belief in a great and mighty God.
We miss out on experiencing freedom & grace when we refuse to respond to His voice.
Sometimes we’re so busy telling God what we need Him to do, that we don’t hear Him telling us what He is doing. We think we’ve figured it out and we know what needs to happen, how it needs to play out and why.
I’m guilty of doing this far more often than I care to admit.
In learning to hear the voice of God in our lives, and trusting Him enough to respond to what He says, we become humble, pliable and freer.
We are freed to experience the blessings Jesus spoke of in the verses prior; of being poor, of being hated for His sake, of being hungry & of weeping. We often resist these, but God has blessings for us in them.
We also come to know the beauty of loving our enemies and blessing them rather than cursing them. (Note: this does not equal being a door mat either. That’s a whole ‘nother topic for another day.)
In this passage in Luke, Jesus is urging us to not only call out to Him, but to hear His words and do them. In pursuing the the voice of God and actively taking steps of faith in obedience, we become a people who stand firm in trials, temptations, and attacks from the enemy.
If we say we believe in God, we must ask ourselves whether or not we truly believe in the foundation of God. The cornerstone. Jesus.
When we believe, we hear and obey the voice of God. His voice gives us truth.
He is the cornerstone upon which our strength and courage are found.
Thank you for joining me in #31DaystoBelieve as we pursue what we believe and how it impacts our lives.
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May we learn to #livewell.
with love,
Jolene
“On Christ the solid rock I stand; no other ground is shifting sand.”
All not no other ground. Oops!
Ha ha, yes. I know the song well. 🙂 Amen.
Oh gosh! THIS! All of this!! I wish that I had more to comment but I am so undone! I love it!
Thank you Kela. You made me smile today. I appreciate you, new friend.
Inspiring post, Jolene! Going through the names of God this month for #write31days has really forced me to ask, “Do I believe this about God?” Because if I do, it should reflect in how I live. Good stuff, friend!
i love that you’re going through the names of God, June! I considered that as a way to pursue our beliefs in God. The question you ask is so on point. LOVE it!