Listen. Ecclesiastes 5 – “Guard your steps…..LISTEN….” Is blocking out distractions as hard for you as it is for me in order to listen to Jesus? I can’t quiet my mind. It’s mental ping pong, back and forth, all over the place. It was about ministry, it was about Jesus, a person, a group, drifting here and there. Even the devil thinks *about* Jesus and *about* people, but I want to listen and let him speak truth into my life. I started praying when I tried to be quiet…praying isn’t bad right? But I wasn’t trying to pray, I just went into auto-pilot with quiet reflective time. I want to listen to the truth, life, and eternal joy that only Christ offers. I need to let HIM speak to me. He has something to say, his Word needs to infect my heart, his death needs to move my soul.
John 10:1-2 speaks of one sneaking in and another at the door.
The surprises are not Jesus. The surprises are not Jesus. The first word in Hebrew in that passage is repeated twice, an ancient way of calling attention. That’s translated ‘Verily, verily’ in the KJV, ‘truly’, and ‘surely’ in other versions. The thief comes in a surprise fashion, bringing special attention. We are sometimes grabbed by things that are special, different - novelties that set us or something apart. Novelties gain our attention and excite our passions for newness, freshness, and something different. When we’re bored or it’s not working any more, we can trade one novelty for another. Jesus transcends all novelty and feelings of newness and excitement. His powerful and perfect Love of “the world”, in which he means the totality of humanity, isn’t about novelty. Jesus is perfection and He stands alone, awaiting our attention and passion.
Jesus is the one at the door. He is simple, no surprises and nothing sneaky or novel. Can we listen to that eternally powerful message? Let us not await novel, new, fresh, man made ideas and visions – but the living, resurrected, right now, Jesus. Let Jesus take His only place, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords of our lives and our listening. Go do it.
Journal about it. Write about it. Reflect on scripture that speaks to this, read it again, pray about the scripture you read – allow God to speak to your heart and soul as the King of Kings. Write a poem about it. Go somewhere because of this and LISTEN. Someone reading this knows in their heart that they need, want, and desire God to speak. Join me in trying to reclaim the ability to listen.