Daily Journal: 9 September

Listening to God

Time spent with God is time to go near to listen.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-5 (NIV)

Guard [number] your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.

We can think God is a 'place' where we can go and rattle off rash statements, promises or quick repentant prayers that we need to 'offload'. A 'place' where we can hastily peel off all the restless things in our heart. He can be the dumping ground for our trash.

God isn't a place or a destination. He is a person. The beginning and the end.

This scripture gives us an important instruction.

If we say something before God, let it be meaningful.

When we go before God, we need to include and invite the Spirit of God so that He can direct our thoughts and our thoughts can then be profitable and direct our actions. Listening is just as active as talking, except it's quiet.

Throughout the day, we often think we’re doing well when we’re constantly talking to God; thinking that we’re including Him in everything. But perhaps communion with God throughout the day is to listen more than we speak. Which is more restful? Which communes more?

Communion is an unusual word – it means sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings (DEFINITION FROM OXFORD LANGUAGES). It’s not just talking, it’s sharing and listening.

Throughout the night, dreams can come. We can have dreams of the soul or dreams of the spirit. Dreams are important as they give us understanding. God may choose to speak to us through dreams at night when the blur of our cares and our chatter no longer drown out His voice. We should seek Him for the correct interpretation of our dreams. Jeremiah 23:32 cautions us that dreams can be false and make us reckless. But Genesis 40:8 assures us that God is the one who interprets dreams. So, if it is God speaking to us in dreams, He is also able to give us clear understanding.

Listening to God is like being fed. We are connected, nourished, and given instruction. It's important to come to His sanctuary in the morning as we arise, giving Him the first part of our day, when we our minds are quiet, so that we can begin by listening to Him.

How well do you listen to Him throughout the day?

Psalm 25:12 (CSB)

Who is this person who fears the LORD? He will show him the way he should choose.

I pray, Lord God, that you will give us a still mind and a trusting heart, willing and ready to hear your thoughts that guide us and give us instruction. Thank you that you do.