Listening is the beginning of hearing. What is God saying to you today?
I will listen to what God the Lord says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.
(Psalm 85:8)
Through the Scriptures. Through creation. Through those that you live with. Through the Wise of years past. Through unexpected circumstances. Through the mundane ordinariness of daily chores.
In the bustle of life. In the chaos of quarantine. In the chatter of children. In the quiet places of your own spirit. In the seemingly random musings of your mind. In the flicker of a candle. In the subtle in and out of your own breath.
What is he saying?
Perhaps you don’t know. That not-knowing is OK: it is part of the process of listening. The first step in hearing the voice of God is confessing that I am not listening. Then I am set to begin listening. And listening is the beginning of hearing, and hearing is the beginning of peace.
But only the beginning. The end of peace is in acting on whatever we hear. Folly is listening, and even hearing, but then not doing anything.
So, once again, what is God saying to you today? What will you do in response?
This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
