Based on “The Church—Why We Do What We Do, Part 3” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
2/20-21/10, Message #MB408; Daily Devotional #2 - “God Speaks”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): “O God, give me grace today to recognize the stirrings of Thy Spirit within my soul and to all that Thou has to say to me. Let not the noises of the world ever so confuse me that I cannot hear Thee speak.” (John Baillie) [Jesus speaking] “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, ESV)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): God speaks. For many of us that is an astonishing proposition. For while we believe in God and the Bible and that Jesus came to save us, often we separate our spiritual lives from the everyday practical aspects of living in the world. We may even have our daily devotional time in the Word and prayer. But once we walk away from those moments with God, do we leave Him behind with our Bible and journal, expecting Him to wait there until our schedule allows for another visit? Is God like a painting in a museum that we look at and admire for a few minutes before moving on to the next object of our desire? God longs to be more to us than mere words on a page. He’s alive and more real than the shadows of reality we call life on earth. Not only is He alive and real, He’s personal, desiring intimate fellowship with each of us.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): How do we tap into that daily life with God? Probably we are off to a good start—reading the Word—praying—fellowshipping with other believers. But do we pause in the midst of the daily chaos to listen? Or does our prayer better resemble the orders we place at the local restaurant? “I’d like my son saved, my house paid off, my pastor anointed, my spouse to love the Word, and while You are at it, my boss to give me a raise.” We may even add, “Please,” and, “Thank You.” But do we ever just stop and quiet the incessant noise in our brains and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” (1 Samuel 3:10)? Or is that too scary? After all, to hear God is to then be responsible for what He says. If my life is so busy that I never hear God, then I don’t have to feel guilty for not doing what He tells me to do. If that is our view of Him, a God-image makeover is definitely in order. We only need to look at Jesus to see the intimacy God intends for us. Will He sometimes ask us to do difficult things? No doubt. But in the context of the true love relationship we develop from knowing our Father, our prayer becomes, “Lord, make Your will, my desire. Enable me to quiet my mind, sit at your feet, and hear Your voice.”
Cultivating (Additional Reading): John 10:1-18; John 8:31-38
NLG
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
English Standard Version=ESV.