Listen

 

Listen

James 1:19-20

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 

Whose voice are we listening to? Our answers will be revealed in our fruit based on how we live our lives. The words that we hear and speak are being recorded into our subconscious. Our minds are like a sponge the words that we listen to good and bad, images, feelings, actions, and our memories are stored in our subconscious mind. We carry this information with us for the rest of our lives. We must wake up from thinking narrow minded. As our brains processes things through our five senses and every reaction is recorded as well into our subconscious.

There are so many distractions that compete with our decision to listen to God. We must be intentional to sit and meditate on the scriptures. How many times have we picked up our Bibles to read and five minutes later we’re sleepy or hungry? Or our phones ring, text and email notifications are ringing, or someone around us want or need our attention. There are tons of other distractions these are only a few.

There are times in our lives when we may feel like we’re not understanding the Bible according to the hours and years we’ve been studying the scriptures. The enemy is always waiting for an opportunity to send us negative thoughts to cause confusion in our minds. What is going on? The Word of the Lord says, 2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, Therefore, we must trust that God’s Word is the knowledge that we must grow to understand and follow to know Christ. The devil is a spirit, and he is present in this world as well as in the spirit realm.  Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We must meditate on the Word of God until it gets down into our subconscious mind. It takes time, repetition to learn a new habit. Some studies say it takes twenty-one days and others thirty days to learn a new habit. No matter how long it takes us to learn and mature in the Word we cannot live without it. Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Many believers are growing weary in hearing God’s voice for themselves. The first step in hearing the Lord is to listen with our heart to what the scriptures are saying about Christ. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:10-14 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Lord is no respecter of men. Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Our hearts must be willing to listen to what the Spirit is speaking to us through the scriptures. Every man must come to Christ and lay bare their heart and soul and pray to God for forgiveness for their sins. We must hear what the Lord is saying to us through our hearts not with our physical heart. Yes, our physical heart is important because it’s our main organ to keep us alive. But our spiritual heart is our inner man the born-again new man that we are growing into a new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The Word of God is living, and it is the life source that feed our spirit and faith. We must open our Bibles and pray to the Holy Spirit to help us to understand the scriptures. He is our teacher and is living within us. John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. Ephesians 1:13-14  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

We don’t have a lot of time to waste because our lives are fleeting. Our focus should be on Jesus and learning who He is and how He lived on earth. We are becoming more like Him as we grow in His righteousness. Therefore, we must not be deceived in our thinking that we can be friends with the world and still have Christ. James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The Word of God is the seed that must be planted within us. Our lives will produce the seed of righteousness as we continue to humble ourselves. Remember a tree only bears fruit of the seed it was created to produce. Genesis 1:11-12 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

The Lord is watching over His Word. Jeremiah 1:9-12 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”  11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” Are we ready to listen to the Spirit of the Lord? We must be ready to wake up at all times of the hour and have pen ready. The Holy Spirit is doing a work in our lives. Those of us who are thirsty and hungry for more of God shall be ready to receive our portion. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Let us pray for wisdom, discernment and understanding in our hearing, so that we will be led by the Holy Spirit. We cannot afford to be lazy and allow our senses and flesh to guide us in the things of God. Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

As we learn to do both be hearer’s and doers of the Word, our faith will produce the work of righteousness. Our spirit man will grow in knowing how to be quick to hear, slow to speak and obedient to the Word and Spirit. God is the incarnation and fulfillment of His Word. 1 John 1:1-4  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Inner Man

 

 Listen to the Spirit inside

He speaks quietly to your heart

Capturing the silence that’s in the dark

The Word of God is there if you believe

A soul cannot live without its daily bread

Take in what you need to be replenished

The soul is crying out when there is sorrow

Comfort and peace will come if you eat

Having faith will rebuild your strength

Your inner man will flourish and grow

Teaching and guiding you on your journey

God lives within the spirit of love

ã2004 “Naima’s Inspirational Melodies”