Listening?

Israel has fallen. Judah’s on the fast track to hell. God sends Jeremiah to warn the people. If they do not return to Him, a horrific country from the North will devastate them.

He goes into great detail outlining His charges against them and exactly what will happen if they do not turn from their great sin and acknowledge Him.

Basically they did church well. Went to temple, offered sacrifices, celebrated the feasts, had priests who looked good and sounded good. They also bowed to every other idol in the country and lived like harlots. Outwardly they looked good. Inwardly their hearts were not only far from God, they were rotten to the core. He didn’t want their sacrifices, He wanted their hearts.

Their response to God in just the first 6 chapters was either, “No, we didn’t. No, I’m not. I can’t help it. I’m innocent,” or worse, taunting God. “You’re not going to do that.” Fingers in their ears.

Bottom line, no one was listening to Jeremiah who was God’s mouthpiece to the nation of Judah. He spoke very clearly, very succinctly. They knew without a doubt, it was God’s words.

So are we listening? God is waving His hands, jumping up and down, shouting in the middle of the road…are we listening?

A friend was telling me about his son moving to a town to start a practice that one day would probably be successful and profitable…but not now. Dad’s advice was to buy a very inexpensive, starter home. Wait until your practice is up and running and in the black, generating good income. Save for a generous down payment so your monthly costs are low.

Ah but Dad, we’ve waited all these years, worked long hours, studied hard, lived on a dime, sacrificed. I’m sure this is an ace in the hole, no way to not do well. Emotion reigns…the big places look so good….they picture themselves on hardwood floors, hands spread on granite countertops. Linoleum and Formica fade into the past.

Was he listening? Suppose his prayer for a year had been, “O God, show us where to live, what to buy. Tell us to exactly what You want us to do.”

So say God sends his dad to counsel him. Dad just shows up. Critical here is not if this kid goes to church, gives 20% of his income, goes on three mission trips a year. Critical is if he’s listening to God. He’s only in church on Sundays. He’s only on a mission trip three times a year. Every other day in the year, he’s living life, all of which needs to fit into The Plan as well.

Psalm 5: 3 says, “In the morning O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Every morning, I discuss the day, discuss decisions I will be faced with. And then as I go through my day, as if going to a train station and looking into each face as if to say, “Are you the one I’m supposed to be meeting?” every conversation, every piece of advice, every comment, I do the same. “God, is this a word from you?”

I met a great girl this past year who is probably 28. She had walked away from the Lord for several years and married during that time. It was disasterous. They divorced. She subsequently came back to the Lord and in talking with her you could quickly tell she had such depth. She eventually met a great guy who loves the Lord as much as she does. Just exactly…right…in every way.

I saw her a few weeks ago. “So…how’s your guy? Any big news?!”

“No…we broke up.”

“Oh my gosh, what happened?”

“Well, God just told both of us, very clearly, it was not in His will to continue the relationship.” In her telling, it was just as real to her as if her dad had showed up, walked in and sat down with her and said, “He’s just not the one, sweetheart.” She smiled like it was just the most remarkable thing. And she was crazy about this guy. And her clock is ticking.

She was more awed by God telling both of them in a crystal clear way, than she was with the message. The message was secondary to Who spoke to them. “It was just amazing!” she said.

They were listening. They broke up. No pros and cons list. Just a look into the heart and mind of God and He said no and they walked away fully trusting that He is a good God, with a good plan to prosper them and to give them hope.

Are you listening?

There’s a second part. The message….whatever God says.

Buy the starter home. Break up with the guy. Then I’m faced with the fact that God Almighty has communicated one on one to my situation in response to my clearly stated request.

And the house has formica and linoleum. And there is no other guy on the horizon, nor can I ever imagine a guy more perfect than this one.

If we never ask, we’re never faced with obeying or disobeying are we? But if we clearly ask, and we listen, and He clearly says, then you’re walking away from God, if you disobey. You’re on your own.

Whole new ballpark, huh.

I only write what I’ve lived. And this is so true. And from experience I will say, it is so easy to say the right things…but the doing, the living out of all this another thing entirely.