Listening More, Talking Less

In my line of work, my voice is quite important. For example this last week, I spoke to a moms group on Wednesday, a Bible study on Thursday and a MOPS group on Friday. Normally my voice is delightful and soothing, but by Wednesday evening my voice became terribly course and raspy. By the time I went to teach Bible study on Thursday, my voice was almost gone.
Several precious women (Sandie and Linda) prayed with me that my voice would hold up through the lesson, and it did! By God’s grace His message from Philippians was powerfully presented. I went to a board meeting for Women in Christian Media after Bible Study and the precious women there prayed over me for God’s healing touch. They put me on complete vocal rest until Friday when I was to speak again.

On Friday, my friend Christy sent a note to all the leaders at Friday’s group to pray for me and again, God allowed me to speak boldly during the meeting. But my voice was not healed. Crumb! I wanted to be all better because I was going down to Waco on Friday to hear Anne Graham Lotz speak at her “Just Give Me Jesus” conference. Of course I was going with some friends, and I wanted to be able to talk and laugh with them, but I couldn’t. I just had to listen.

Why wasn’t my voice completely healed, especially when my Godly friends prayed that it would be? Perhaps God wanted to teach me something through being silent. I heard His voice saying, “Just listen.” Sometimes the chatter of life, keeps me from listening to His still yet penetrating voice. I needed to listen to my wise friends as we spent the weekend in Waco. I needed to listen to what God was teaching me through the “Just Give Me Jesus” conference. I needed to be quiet even today as I write this and just listen to his voice.

Reflection. Taking time to Listen. Contemplating His Word, His love and His presence through being silent. I don’t do it often enough. Sometimes God just needs to grab me and stop me. I need to be still and know that He is God. How about you? When are you quiet?

My friend Jody Capehart says, “God does not take us through the deep waters to drown us, but to cleanse us.” What challenges are you facing right now in your life? Stop and listen to His still, quiet voice saying, “I love you. I am with you. I will be your strength.”

A simple game you can play with your kids is called, “Lay Down and Listen.” Tell the kids to lay down on the floor on their backs. As they do tell them to use their ears, not their mouths and listen to the noises around them. It’s amazing what you will hear when you are completely quiet. Often you hear sounds you have never noticed before, the wind, the air conditioner, the refrigerator , the dog snoring. What a great reminder for us all, to lay down and listen to God’s voice, which we so often overlook because of our noisy lives.