Remix: Student Devotionals

Becoming a Disciple - Week 6, Day 2

Could You Please Say...(Listening to God)

Years ago, I had a conversation with my daughter McKenzie, who was 4 ½ months old at the time. It was great. She was taking a bath, kicking the water all over my pants and drooling everywhere. I began to tell her how much I loved her and how much I wanted her to grow up and be just like me. (What’s so funny about that!?) She just looked at me and drooled some more. I told her how she should watch out for all boys because I know what they are thinking, and they better think again when it comes to you because I’ll….anyway. As she kicked the water at me, I thought to myself how great this conversation would be if she could talk back to me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like hearing myself talk, but this is one time when I would love to know what she is thinking. I mean, when she looks at me with those big blue eyes, does she think, “Wow, Dad, you are so great. I am the luckiest girl in the world,” or “Why me, Lord, what did I ever do to deserve this guy? I mean, really.” The problem here, of course, is that my little girl can’t talk. At least not in a way I can understand. When she is older, though, she will probably be like her mom and talk and talk and talk and talk.

As I sat there watching her gargle up some more bubbles, it occurred to me that this one-way conversation is a lot like the one-way conversations that so many people have with God. We talk to God, telling Him all of our problems. God listens. Then we say goodbye, and God doesn’t get a chance to talk back to us. What? Didn’t you know that God could speak to you? He’s not like my little girl, who can’t quite communicate yet.

God has been finding some creative ways to communicate with His people since the beginning of time. Check it out yourself:
1. In Zechariah 1:8-17, God speaks through an angel.
2. In Exodus 3:1-8, God speaks through a burning bush.
3. In Daniel 5, God uses the fingers of a human hand and writes on the wall.
4. 2 Samuel 24:18-19
5. 1 Timothy 4:1 God speaks through the Holy Spirit.
6. Hebrews 1:1-2

GOD WILL GO TO JUST ABOUT ANY LENGTH JUST TO TALK TO US.

Why? Because He wants to communicate with us and tell us about the plans and purposes He has for our lives. He wants to make our lives as incredible as they can be. Great and marvelous plans that don’t go unsaid, but unfortunately go unheard. Even though we cut God off, He never cuts us off. Even though we get tired of talking to God, God never grows tired of talking to us. Can you hear Him? Can you slow down enough today just to stop and say, “God is there anything You want to tell me about or warn me about? I’ll be quiet and listen, I promise. Speak Lord; Your servant is listening.”

I listened to my little girl for 15 minutes, and she didn’t make sense to me one time. I really tried to understand what she was saying, but it just didn’t make sense. I wonder if all of us would put forth the same effort I did with my little girl how much we would hear, understand, and be changed by the Word of God. It’s worth a shot, don’t you think? Listen to Him.

You will hear Him if you listen!

Time Out

1. Go back to the middle of this quiet time and look up those verses. Write down how God found another interesting way to communicate with His people.

2. Were there any ways God spoke to people in the past that you thought were cool? Write down a couple of insights below.

3. In Jeremiah 33:3, the Bible says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

A. According to this verse, what should you be doing?

B. What will God do if you do this?

Memory Verse:

Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."

Matthew 22:37