Listening

In the middle of the Bible you'll find the Psalms. In the middle of the Psalms you'll find Psalm 81. In the middle of Psalm 81, you'll find God speaking. "Hear, O My people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to Me!" (Psa 81:8). While I don't think this central location was the intent, I do think it is of central importance ... especially to us today.

We listen to a lot of voices today. We have the media, social media, government, our political friends and our political opponents, family, friends, preachers, teachers, bosses, coworkers, fact checkers and fact checker checkers, and that's just a shortlist. It goes on and on. Somewhere, way down in the midst of the noise, practically drowned out, is the "still, small voice" of God.

That voice is way down in the midst of the noise because it is perhaps the least popular. Especially among unbelievers, but even for many believers. Some argue that we need to ignore God's Word and listen for God's words. "Don't trust that crusty old Bible." Others trust that "crusty old Bible" just fine ... as far as it agrees with their perspective. When it doesn't, "Well, then, it probably doesn't mean what it says. It means what I believe. You just have to read it right." Rare is the believer who says, "I'll believe and follow whatever it says."

Brothers and sisters, these things ought not be. Jesus said God's Word was truth (John 17:17). Jesus said the truth would set us free (John 8:32). Scripture claims to be not merely "inspired," but breathed out by God and "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17). We have no room in the believer's life for "That's okay; I've got this."

Especially in these critical times with loud voices without and within telling us that God isn't merely dead -- He's dead wrong -- we need to listen to God. We need to renew our minds (Rom 12:2). What Paul calls being cleansed "by the washing of water with the word." (Eph 5:26) If you plan to make sense of God's Word and the world by your own understanding -- "what feels right to me" -- it will not go well. God is calling, "O, believers, if you would but listen to Me!"