It seems everyone has an opinion about something. Whether its food, politics, religion, children, EVERYONE considers themselves an expert on something. There are countless blogs out there that cover everything from personal struggles to how to do things your way. I posted on a runners blog about how you maintain training regimen when you are traveling. (I have to go out of town next week) and have received several informative, supportive and different responses. The most difficult thing I have found is deciding who to listen to. Everyone SEEMS to have a valid opinion but they are all so different that it makes it difficult to discern who to listen to and who to ignore. The anonimity of the web makes it easier not to offend anyone, but the dilemma is still there.

I have two beautiful grand daughters Abigail and Bailey. When they come over to visit, or we go over there to babysit, their mother is always telling them "use your listening ears". It's her way of telling them to mind Grammie and Papa while they are in our care. Little children seem to drift off in a world of their own sometimes and a constant reminder to listen is necessary. It teaches them to be aware of their surroundings.

One of the replies to my running inquiry told me that running in the city is a good way to see things, take a map with you so you will know where you are and don't go into a bad neighborhood. DON'T LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE YOU ARE RUNNING, keep your head about you. I thought that was not only good advice, but like my daughter, he was telling me to keep my listening ears on.

What about your spiritual listening ears? Are there distractions keeping you from hearing God speak to you? Can you hear the Holy Spirit above the painful cries of the world? Are you using your spiritual listening ears? I have often thought that when God wants my attention, he will audibly say my name. I can imagine him saying, "look at me when I'm speaking to you!"

However, that isn't exactly how he does it. Now there are some pretty spectacular examples of God getting people's attention in the bible. Moses and the burning bush. Paul and the Damascus Road experience. All of us have heard these stories, (if you haven't, you should look them up in the bible. And as always, I AM NOT YOUR BIBLE!)

God can and does use any means necessary to get our attention, but I think the preferred method is not to get our attention, but for us to put on our listening ears and really pursue His voice in our lives. God is speaking to us in everything we see on the news, what we hear on the radio, what we see on TV. Not the sounds and the images and the information, God is speaking to us in the silence we feel as we witness something tragic on the news. Something shocking allowed on television, something we hear in the music of the world. In all his creation the world is crying out in pain and his silence is to let us hear his heart and his pain. He knows we are seeking Him. He lets us see that we need Him more than ever when we hear and see the things going on around us. Then in the midst of our cries and moans and inner groanings, we hear a still small voice that says "I am here."

1 Kings 19:11-13 tells the story of Elijah, he has just killed all the priests of baal, he has received a threatening letter from the queen, and he has run to a cave. He goes to a mountain top and stands on the edge where God goes through this display of his power in a mighty wind, an earthquake and fire. Then after the fire there is silence. The calm after the storm so to speak. It was only after that silence that Elijah heard a still small voice. God is showing us that the world is hurting and we are his hands, feet, mouth and eyes. We should be out there rolling up our sleeves instead of rolling our eyes. We should be getting into the midst of a hurting world instead of hiding in our churches. We should not just read the bible, we should live the bible.

Are you getting this? As you go through this Grace and strength Lifestyle, you are not only losing weight that has kept you from being the You God dreams you to be, you are or should be, getting ready to get your hands dirty. If you don't hear the voice of God, maybe it's because he is waiting for you to do what He has already told you to do. Got your listening ears on?

Pray Seek Believe Receive

David Michael Rose

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* Individual results may vary.