To Hear God, Be Still and Listen
By Rick Warren
“Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does.” Job 37:14 (GNT)
The first phase God uses to grow your faith is when he gives you a dream. But to hear this dream, you have to listen for God’s voice—and that means you have to silence the noise around you.
The Bible says God speaks in a still, small voice, so you can’t hear him in the whirlwind of a chaotic life. You can’t hear God with the TV on or when you’re distracted by all the things you need to do today.
You may think God never speaks to you. But perhaps it only seems that God never speaks to you—because you’re never quiet enough to listen to him!
Something is always going on in your mind—you’re thinking through the week’s schedule, scrolling through social media, or replaying a difficult conversation you had with your boss. So while God is trying to get through to you on the telephone of life, he’s getting a busy signal.
To hear from God, you’ve got to get quiet and reserve time alone with him.
The Bible says in Job 37:14, “Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does” (GNT).
God wants to spend time with you. It’s like he’s saying, “Pause, be quiet, get alone, and learn solitude so I can talk with you.”
Is knowing God’s dream for your life worth giving him a day? Have you ever taken an entire day to do nothing but be alone with God?
Here’s what you can do on a day like that: Talk to God in prayer. Let God talk to you through the Bible. Relax. Think. Write down the thoughts he puts in your mind. Set some goals. Look through your schedule. Set your priorities. Spend the day asking, “God, where do you want me to go? What direction do you want my feet headed?”
Then make a habit of having a quiet time with God each day. I know you can’t spend all day every day in quiet and stillness with God, but you can set aside a short time each day. A daily quiet time looks a lot like what that entire day with God might look like, just shorter.
Remember: God speaks to people who take the time to listen—not just for a day but also on a regular basis.
Have you had a case of the spiritual wiggles? Set aside some time to be still and quiet with God. You might be surprised at how much he wants to say to you!
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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