3 March 2016 - listening soft

[ Today's Readings ]

Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.

Help us to hear your voice LORD. 

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You do speak to us. It is not a rare occurrence anymore.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven (see Hebrews 12:25).

Don't let us harden our hearts LORD. You are more present to us than you were to the people of Israel. In a way, we have more opportunities to listen. But the flip side is we have more opportunities to ignore.

In the old days you sent prophets to your people. Now you give us the Holy Spirit and make us prophets ourselves.

And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servantsc and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy (see Acts 2:17-18).

So when you speak help us to listen. Help us to obey and pay head. Help us to listen to your voice and take correction.

You want to speak to us because you want to heal us.

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.

But if we are not listening your healing only feels like a threat.

Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”

It is a threat to our absolute rule of our own lives. But when we rule our lives we aren't stronger than the evil one. Our own rule of our lives is the same as being owned by the "strong man fully armed" who guards us as his possessions. Having you on the throne of our hearts is much better. You are better at being God than we are.

But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.

So help us to listen when you come to set us free. Don't let us cling to these prisons where you don't reign.

But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.

Set us free LORD. Lead us out so that we can follow the guidance of the Good Shepherd who loves us.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

And because all of Songs in His Presence is apparently on YouTube now..