Day 218, or August 6. Why don't you listen? Our thoughts today are rooted in Jeremiah
chapter 25, verse 7.
"'But you did not listen to me,' declares the LORD, "'and you have aroused my anger
with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.'"
Now the big picture surrounding this verse. Jeremiah's sermons come to an end about
halfway through his long book. God gives him much to tell the people of Judah, as exile
into a foreign land looms large. There are some things specifically for Jeremiah, too,
but they are not all easy. He also speaks out against false prophets who are undermining
his own valuable ministry—prophets who are not speaking on behalf of God, but who insist
that they are. He also confirms how long Judah will be in exile in Babylonia. It will be
a total of seventy years, and the prophet Daniel specifically quotes this prophecy
of Jeremiah during the exile.
And now today's action step. Did you hear about the man who told his friend,
"'My wife tells me that I don't listen to her. At least, I think that's what she
said.' Listening to another human being is easier than listening to God, so we have
to try that bit harder if we are not to miss out on what the living God has to tell us.
In my experience, it is rarely an audible voice that we hear. At least, that's the
case for me. God tends to speak when I read the Bible, when I'm in church or house group,
or when I am quiet and doing my best to tune into Him. Of course, there are times when
He simply bursts into my life, but they are exceptions rather than the rule. So it's
simple, really. If we try to hear God at specific times by reading His Word and gathering with
His people, then there is a good chance that we will. Of course, we can keep ourselves
cocooned with other peripheral things that drown Him out, but if we do, we risk not hearing
His voice that will enrich our lives far more than anything else we can spend valuable time
on.