Listening for God’s Voice
Listening for God’s Voice
Life is busy. Between the pick ups and drop offs, committees and clubs, & work and friends, the hustle and bustle of the fall is beginning to encroach on these remaining August days. Amidst this flurry of activity and commitments, when do we intentionally listen for God’s voice and calling in our lives?
Take this moment to pause and take a deep breath. Ready yourself for intentional listening and reflecting.
1 Samuel 3:10 -
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Walking in the woods or on the shore of a lake, we are prone to listen for and hear the sounds in our environment – the tap of a woodpecker or the lapping water against the rocks. This listening focuses our attention and often leads to further inquiry or reflection on both the physical landscape and our internal dialogue. We listen carefully. In many instances, we are likely in those places to find respite and quiet, and it is not surprising that we may find it much easier in these settings to listen and focus on what we are hearing – both the sounds of nature and the voice of God.
Some of my greatest memories of listening and quiet reflection have come while I’ve been gazing at the night sky and listening to sounds in the woods. What am I listening for? I don’t always know. What I do know is that in these moments I am ready to hear. In addition to the crickets and fire crackle, I am ready to hear God’s voice call my name and awaken me to sounds, experiences, reflections, or actions both new and renewed. I also know that I don’t do this often enough. I get consumed with the schedule and the next item on the list.
How many of us take time in our day to intentionally listen especially if we do not have the opportunity to be surrounded by nature? Do we listen to our surroundings and for God’s voice in a heightened way while we are in our homes and workplaces? What do we miss out on when we do not quiet ourselves and take a moment to listen – not just to our immediate surroundings but for God’s voice?
How do you set your intention to pay attention and listen for God in your life? I challenge you to take a few moments and sit either inside or outside and listen to what you hear. Do you hear birds in trees or the hum of an air conditioner? Sit long enough and you’ll be sure to hear more sounds of the world. Are you open to hearing more than surface level noise? How might you further reflect and inquire about these sounds and thoughts? How is God’s voice revealing itself to you and are you listening for it?
Dear God,
What sounds or messages do we miss when we do not intentionality listen for your voice or presence? We want to hear you and know that you may not always shout at us and demand our attention. We need to be intentional in our listening to not only your incredible creation but also to your calls for reflection and action in our lives and in the world. Help us listen for your voice so that when you call us, we can respond, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Amen
