Friday November 21 
Listening to God 
Psalm 81:8-14 

Does the heavenly Father still speak to His children? It’s a question that may be on your mind right now. We all have this need to know that the Lord is still communicating with us. We crave the certainty that He hears us—and that He answers.

In Psalm 81:8-14, we get a clear picture of God’s heart: He yearns for Israel to listen to Him. Think about that. Here’s the almighty Creator of the universe pleading with His chosen people to hear His voice. It almost doesn’t make sense, does it? Why on earth would the Israelites turn a deaf ear to their sustaining, omnipotent heavenly Father?

However, God’s message is sent to inattentive ears. He says, “Oh, Israel, if only you would listen to Me. But My people did not listen to My voice. Oh, that My people would listen to Me!” (Psalm 81:8-14, paraphrase).

Thousands of years later, I’m certain that same question still rings through heaven. We can practically hear the Lord saying, “Oh, church, if only you would listen to Me. But My church did not listen to My voice. Oh, that My church would listen to Me!”

No doubt, you’ve heard God say the same thing to you personally. We seem to fall out of touch with Him at times. We put ourselves in one corner and restrict the Lord to someplace “over there” and out of the way. We somehow seem to lose track of His voice in our lives. And yet, though we may not hear Him, He is still talking.

Quiet your spirit today. Open God’s Word and invite Him to speak to you anew. And then, listen.

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