Reflection: Hear: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

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Reflection:

1.     In what ways do we hesitate to believe that God’s promises apply to us?

2.     What kind of barriers do we instinctively, or unknowingly, raise against hearing His words?

3.     What barriers do we raise deliberately? Why?

4.     How far have you ever been scattered from the Lord?

5.     How did He gather you back?

Hear: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

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Jeremiah 31: 10, “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, And say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’”

Hear the word. Are we listening? Do we recognize when we drift away and have become scattered in our hearts and beliefs?

The word is not silent or hidden but ready and open to all who will hear. And yet barriers can keep us from hearing or accepting when we are struggling in isolation. Or allow a spirit of boredom and complacency to sabotage our relationship instead of entering into a difficult conversation.

He already knows where we are in heart, soul, and thoughts. He waits. He calls. He gathers. He speaks to us voice to voice. He speaks to us through others. He speaks to us through creation, and art, and music, and labor. He will use any form of communication to enable us to hear His words.

The word is spoken everywhere and in every moment. Will we choose to listen?

Lord, please keep us faithful to Your words whether spoken, written, or in silent prayers, that Your Spirit will seed our lives and those who hear them with Your hope.

Your thoughts,

Manifold: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:32-33

“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.

Witness given.

Spirit poured out as both seen and heard.

No possibility of error or misunderstanding. Concrete evidence by multiple people across a wide spectrum of belief and unbelief, hope and critical. No movie cameras or cell phones to cut and paste, redesign, manufacture, or manipulate for market success.

Power undeniable.

Recognized.

Still present today to be both seen and heard except for the barriers we raise. Are we truly hearing the Spirit’s voice or making up our own version? Is that word from the Lord really meant for me now, or am I being presumptuous?

We manage to excuse and ignore even when we are sure we heard the word spoken. Why? Or make too much noise to hear the Spirit’s whisper.

Manifold witness continues despite our limitations.

His power pours out as promised. Delivered despite our doubts.

Lord, give us courage to listen and to trust and to receive.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:28

“God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’”

Hear: Word Ambassadors:Prayers and Poetry

My apologies for the long delay. And thank you for your prayers for myself and my family as we dealt with cancer. The blog will continue to discuss what we began last year’s August if you would like to reread the introduction for this portion of the series. What does it mean to be sent back into the world as Jesus said only now as ambassadors for God. How does He define the role of envoy or messengers of His words? What does He mean by all the world and the whole creation?

Hear: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:22

“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say! Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, works and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know---.”

Peter called out a challenge to the Israelites to acknowledge words of truth.  To be accountable. To not hide from the scriptures and prophecies that to them were as natural as breathing. Words from history. Words from worship. Words from Yahweh Himself.

He called on them to take a stand on a personal faith. To own their heritage as individuals and not simply as theoretical bystanders.

He called on them to step out from the curious crowd and to act on words they already knew. Attested to by God in ways they were privileged to understand and connect the dots that to many in the crowd seemed confusing.

He called on them to respond to truth with honesty. To have the courage to follow. Regardless of the Roman occupation. Regardless of the betrayal of their own spiritual leadership.

If we substitute “Christians” for “Israelites” what will we hear? Will we remember what we know?

Lord, please give us heart and soul courage to come before You with honest hearts, and be willing to listen and to obey and to follow Your words of life.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:22

“God blessed them saying, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’”

Impossible: Word Ambassadors: Prayers and Poetry

Reading: Acts 2:8

“And how is it that we hear in our own native language?”

How many kinds of emotions rang behind those words? Wonder, hope, a desire for confirmation. Or suspicious and fearful?

When Paul first brought God’s words to the Bereans they were referred to as more noble-minded, “for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the scripture daily, to see whether these things were.” Acts 17: 11

Today in our highly technical environment we are well aware of potential scams and hoaxes and falsified presentations. But even in our sophisticated wariness lies still invade our relationships, our churches, our families, and our own hearts.

So often we doubt we are hearing what we think we are hearing.  In our faith too.

How often do we realize that the Lord has spoken into our hearts with the language we most need to hear and then still set up barriers of rejection? We must have been mistaken. We were caught up in a moment. We begin to question, why would He speak to me directly, am I imagining this, is it really possible?

Lord, teach us to remove our fears and anxieties so that we hear Your words of guidance and trust in Your personal language. Help us to confirm by Your scriptures and by Your Spirit’s counsel and take daily steps with great eagerness to listen and to walk.

Psalm of Worship: Genesis 1:8

“God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”