Monitoring Heaven
With the arrival of each new grandchild, I've seen this device appear
in their home; it looks like a little transistor radio. But there's
really not much channel selection on this little radio. In fact,
there's only one channel. It's tuned to Baby. When Mom has put the
little angel to sleep, she goes into another room and she turns on
what they call a baby monitor. With it, you can hear any unusual
noise coming from the baby's room, and then you know baby needs you.
My observation in our family has been that no matter what else is
going on in the room, Mommy remains mentally tuned to that one
channel; always listening for a sound from baby.
I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Monitoring Heaven."
There's an old Gospel song called "Turn Your Radio On." One verse
says, "Each of us is a radio receiver", the idea being that
we should be tuned to one channel--God's channel. If you want a life
with solid direction instead of confusion, well, that's not a bad
idea. The problem is, there are so many voices on so many channels
broadcasting into your heart that too many times we miss our
Creator's voice. Oh, He's speaking, but we're not hearing. So we're
on our own on the wrong road.
That's why the example of Samuel in our word for today from the Word
of God is so important. In 1 Samuel 3:10, there are six words that,
if they are frequently in your heart and on your lips, can literally
change the course of your life. Because you'll know what God wants
you to do in each situation, and you'll be living the plan you were made for.
Samuel is a young man, living at God's temple, training for spiritual
leadership under the chief priest, Eli. Three times a voice calling
Samuel's name woke him from his night's sleep. And three times Samuel
got up and reported it to Eli. Well, the third time Eli got it; the
Lord must have something to say to this boy. So, following Eli's
instruction, Samuel goes back, lies down, ready to respond in the
way Eli had wisely advised him to. The Bible says, "Then the Lord
came and stood there, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!'
Then Samuel said, (Now here are those six powerful words; one of the
most significant prayers in the Bible.) 'Speak, for your servant is
listening.'"
Sadly, a more honest prayer many times would be this. "Listen, Lord,
your servant is speaking." We talk to God a lot more than we listen
to God. Instead, like a young mother attentively listening to that
monitor for that one voice she always responds to, you and I should
always be listening for a voice from heaven in our heart. It's hard
to pick up what God's saying if you're talking all the time,
if you're running so fast and so hard that you run right past God's
still, small voice. If you're a controlling person who basically
wants God to bless what you do rather than you doing what God will
bless. God may have been trying to say something to you on
many occasions, and you missed it because you were too busy, too
distracted, or just too set on your own way. Great way to mess up the
beautiful thing God is trying to do.
Nehemiah "prayed to the God of heaven" before he "answered the king"
the Bible says (Nehemiah 2:4). He "prayed to our God" it says when he
was suddenly facing serious danger (Nehemiah 4:9). David "inquired of
God" the Bible says before he decided whether or not to become
involved in a battle (1 Chronicles 14:10). Jesus "spent the night
praying to God" before He made His staff selections (Luke 6:13).
Always, for those who want God's best, there is that stopping to say,
"Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening." Every time you open your
Bible, every time you go to church, every time you consult with
a spiritual brother or sister, say it: "Speak, Lord, your servant is
listening." There probably already have been too many times when God
was calling your name with a message just for you and you missed it,
because you weren't consciously listening for Him. If you want to
make regret-free, error-free decisions in your life, make a lifestyle
of always listening for the voice of God.
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