Devotional: Hearing From God's Word

God speaks to His people. We need to listen.

But do we really want to hear God? Hearing from the Almighty might seem downright scary to some of us. Guilty consciences or un-confessed sin might make us afraid of judgment. Or maybe some of us are like Jonah, running from God’s clear call. Perhaps fear of the unknown causes us to plant our fingers firmly in our ears, like a toddler, humming loudly to block out His voice.

Shouldn’t the prospect of hearing from our loving Father overcome all of our petty fears? Isn’t that why we long to gather every Sunday – to learn to be more like Christ, to grow in faith, to discover “the most excellent way” that Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians? We long for peace, for strength to live life, for hope, for healing, for love. Aren’t all of those things found in God’s Word? So when God speaks to us through His Word and the preaching of His Word, we should rush to hear, straining to catch every syllable, even if it means rebuke, or reproof, or redirection. Because in addition to those difficult things, God speaks peace, comfort, strength, power, and love to our souls.

Prayer: Lord, open my heart and mind and ears to listen to whatever you have for me in the days to come; and through your precious Word, show us how to love each other, as you have loved us.