Just Listen

“Mommy.” Juliette said absentmindedly.
“Hmm?” I replied.
“Mommy.” She said again while preoccupied with a toy.
“Yes, dear?” I repeated a response.
“Mommy!” She said emphatically, not realizing I had already acknowledged her.
“What is it?!” I asked again.

I am reminded in James 1:19 that the Bible says for us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Sometimes I myself cry out to God to hear me, yet I do not listen to His response. This world is so full of distractions—whether it be a cell phone, tv, or computer. Many things in our daily lives soak up our attention and distract us from truly listening to God. Shamefully, I have missed a piece of conversation with someone just because I was scrolling through my phone and had to ask, “Sorry, can you repeat that?”

As God’s children, we were created to fellowship with Him. That means not only to speak to Him, but also to LISTEN to His voice. In many uncertain situations, I find myself asking God to show me what to do. There’s a second part to that—listening for the answer.

I. PAUSE

Psalm 46:10 : “Be still, and know that I am God.”

First, we must eliminate the noise around us that muffles our hearing. The world is so loud and tries to keep a distance between us and God. If only we would set some time aside to be quiet and truly listen to God’s voice, then He could show us His answer. What is God’s will for me? What should I do? How can I please Him? God may be telling us the answer, but we just aren’t listening.

II. PRAY

Psalm 5:3: “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

After we are still and have given God our full attention, then the next step is to pray. We have direct access to the God of all gods through prayer! What a privilege it is to take all of our needs, wants, desires, thoughts, and questions to the One Who can do something about it!

III. PRAISE

Psalm 71:8 :“Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.”

Lastly, let us praise Him! God desires to take care of His children. He has so many blessings in store for us. Let us not ignore what God has done for us or push it aside because it isn’t that big of a deal. His will is always best. He will provide every need and answer every question if we would only PAUSE, PRAY, and then PRAISE Him for it.

Juliette finally looked up at me. “Juice, please!” she requested.
I filled her cup with orange juice and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Mommy!” she smiled appreciatively.

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Cherith Flood, Assistant Pastor’s Wife

Cherith Flood born and raised as a missionary kid for her entire childhood in mainland China. Cherith’s family first heard of the ministries of North Valley Baptist Church through KNVBC – Revival Radio when her family would play it often. She attended and graduated from Golden State Baptist College in 2017. She is currently involved in the bus, music, and deaf ministries. Cherith and her husband have two children, Juliette and Joel.