Listen

 

There’s been a main theme that God has been making clear to me in 2024. I realize that the more I ignore it, the more it’s evident in everyday interactions. I try to avoid it, but God is like, “I’m gonna put it in your face until you can’t ignore it anymore”. The other day, a co-worker handed me a gift and shared a sweet encouraging message with me. I immediately heard the song by Marvin Sapp, although I hadn’t heard it in a while, “God’s tryna tell you something…listen”. That song played over and over in my mind. I was driving home that day and I was like “okay God, I’m listening. You got my attention.” I won’t tell you what it is for now but you will know when it happens. Today, I searched for the lyrics and these lines grabbed my attention:

“Yes, He is, He’s trying to get your attention right now (God’s tryna tell you something)

 I know you got your own plan, but God’s got a better one, ooh (God’s tryna tell you something)

Shh, listen”

How many times do we do what I just did? We avoid, ignore, don’t talk about it or pretend we didn’t hear God right or altogether. “God is that you? Did you really say that?” If we’re all being honest, we’ve all been there and done that. Are we listening to God? Are we picking up what He’s laying down or we too busy trying to make sure our plans go the right way? Are we too busy planning our day, week, month, year that we ignore His voice? Are we too busy listening to other surrounding voices and drown out His voice?

I feel like there’s a “pressing in the spirit” and God is equipping His children now more than ever before to START PAYING ATTENTION, BE ALERT, AND VIGILANT. Why? We know we must watch out for our adversary, the devil. We don’t want to fall prey to his tactics, and I feel he is turning on the heat because he is getting desperate.  Job clearly paints a picture of what the devil does every day, “roaming throughout the earth going back and forth on it” (Job 1:7). In 1 Peter 5:8, we get an even better picture of how his roaming, what he is looking for, and what is intentions are. “…Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (NASB). Jesus tells us that his intentions are to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10).

Friends, this is not the time to simply avoid or pretend like we didn’t hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This “pressing” is for a reason and we don’t have to know what that reason is. All we have to do is obey what God has called us to do. Acts 18:5 (KJV) tells us this, “And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.” I know what God has been pressing me about and He is pleased when I obey Him. Please don’t let this “pressing” time window of opportunity fall through your hands, He will use someone else but He ultimately wants to use you. To be honest with you, I’m nervous but I’m praying and worshipping. The more I let go of myself, cast off my anxieties, behold Him, put on faith, the easier it is for me to obey His calling.

I don’t know what God has placed in your heart to do this year. I don’t even know if He has tugged on your heart as you were reading this blog. But what I do know is this, “But Samuel replied: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22). So go ahead and attend every church function, memorize 10 scripture verses a day, and have a picture of the cross as your screen saver. But are you ultimately and fully walking in obedience to what He is telling and asking you to do??

 

Warm Wishes,

 

Carline