This Easter season we have been concentrating on the 23rd Psalm. You know the one we adults who went to church as youngsters memorized. We see this Psalm a lot at funerals. This is the Common English Bible version:
23 The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
3 he keeps me alive.
He guides me in proper paths
for the sake of his good name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—
they protect me.
5 You set a table for me
right in front of my enemies.
You bathe my head in oil;
my cup is so full it spills over!
6 Yes, goodness and faithful love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the Lord’s house
as long as I live.
This Psalm speaks about our faith! God is always there, but do we pay attention and listen to Him?
How many times do we all ask God for an answer and then expect it immediately? We don’t always get answers right away, but we sure expect them. What about really listening to the meaning of what God is saying to each of us? Sometimes it takes longer than a day to hear what God is calling us to do. Sometimes it takes longer than we want it to for us to hear what God is saying. Sometimes the answer isn’t an easy yes or no.
It is important that we talk to God and have conversation, but it is equally if not more important that we listen more than we talk. Many of us don’t like those awkward quiet times when we are with others and we try to fill it with conversation. There is nothing awkward about your conversation or relationship with God! Take the time to really listen. Listen more than once. Listen more than twice! God wants what is best for you! Listen carefully.
Try this –
Create your own telephone with you children. You don’t need to get a new cellular data plan for this, just two plastic cups and a piece of string. Punch a hole in the bottom of each cup. Put the string through the bottom of each cup and tie it in a knot. Make sure the knot won’t slip through the hole. Now stretch out the string and take turns talking into one cup and listening in the other.
This will take some concentration! Think about how much effort you and your children will put into trying to make this string phone work. Are you putting in the same amount of effort in listening to God? There are days when I feel like I am completely in tune with what God is saying to me. And then there are other days when I am just plain not listening. Not the best move when I know that God is looking out for me! We all have work to do in leading this Christlike life that we are called to. No one is perfect or even THERE! We must all work on our relationship with God everyday, just like we work on our other relationships.
Love, talk, and listen!!