Journal - Listening Skills - wk15

Hey, y’all, it’s Daisy, and today we are meditating on Isaiah 30, verse 21. I’m going to read the verse a couple of times, and then I want you to pause and meditate on this verse by yourself. When you are ready to continue the devotional, press play.

Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)
21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,”. . .
 
Go ahead and pause, and in the MEDITATE section of your journal, as you think about this verse, just write what it says. Write in your own words what this verse is saying. And after you have meditated on this verse, press play when you are ready to continue.

So, I was at Starbucks this morning, as always, and I started making conversation with this woman who was also waiting for her order. And she was the sweetest lady, but she had the world’s quietest voice. And I really had to focus and kind of tune out all the chaos that was happening in Starbucks. I really had to lean in and listen carefully to what she was saying because of how soft-spoken she was.

And it got me thinking about God’s voice and how it’s often a very quiet whisper, a soft nudge. And it’s so quiet that it commands our full attention. That is why he comes to us that way. It’s what stills us in the midst of confusion and chaos.

And so, as we move into the application part of this devotional, I want you to pause and think about where God is leading you. Are you listening for his voice? And most importantly, are you responding to it with obedience? As you read this verse, how does it apply personally and specifically to your life? So, pause this recording to write in the APPLY area of your journal, and then press play again when you are ready to move on to the response section.

Okay, so as we move into the RESPOND section, I really just want you to be still. Just be still and listen. What do you hear? And if you don’t hear anything, that’s okay because when I did this, I didn’t hear anything either. But – that’s not true. What I did hear was that really being a Christian is training ourselves to get quiet and sit in the silence. Sit in the silence with God whether we can hear what he’s saying to us or not. Just practicing that stillness. When we live in a world that is just constantly throwing entertainment and advertisements, and noise at us, we forget to be still. We forget to be quiet.

And so, I guess God did communicate with me in that stillness. It was that even if he’s not giving us a direct answer to what we’re asking, he is training our ear to listen to his soft voice so we can recognize it when it does come through. So, just take a moment. Listen and just be in his presence. Write down how you will respond to God today. Is it an emotional, spiritual, or physical action? Is it a commitment to listen to him more? When you’re ready, come back, and we will pray.

So, writing your prayer to God is so powerful. In the PRAY section, just write out your prayer to God. Make your commitment to him and be sure to thank him, and then come back, and I will pray for you, and then you can carry on with your day.

Let me pray for you.

Lord, lead us in your perfect way. You are the life and the truth. Thank you for always blessing us with wisdom when we ask. Thank you for being our lifeline to the heavens. Help us to have the strength and the courage to listen and obey for your glory – for the glory of your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.