Sunday, October 30, 2016

October 30, 2016: Hearing God Speak

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 304 

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Twila Paris and Dennis Jernigan singing Dennis’ song … On My Knees … singing of the best strategy we have to hear God’s voice in our lives.


Highlight Verse[s]: 1st Samuel 3:10 [NKJV] …
10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” … And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” 
… Samuel learned to set aside self and listen for His Lord.
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Highlight Context: 1st Samuel 3:1-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK 
… The Prophet Samuel learns from Eli how to hear God’s voice.
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Reference Passage #1 …Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK 
… God, thru Solomon, passes along the way to tune our hearts and minds to better hear Him calling us.

Reference Passage #2 … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK 
… We will only find God’s peace when we’re able to shun anxiety, get alone with God in prayer, and humbly seek His voice.

My Journal for Today:  … Our Daily Bread author, Amy Boucher Pye, in teaching about discerning God’s call on our lives, used a personal illustration then a biblical story to make her point. She wrote: I felt like I was underwater, sounds muffled and muted by a cold and allergies. For weeks I struggled to hear clearly. My condition made me realize how much I take my hearing for granted. 
Young Samuel in the temple must have wondered what he was hearing as he struggled out of sleep at the summons of his name (1 Sam. 3:4). Three times he presented himself before Eli, the high priest. Only the third time did Eli realize it was the Lord speaking to Samuel. The word of the Lord had been rare at that time (v. 1), and the people were not in tune with His voice. But Eli instructed Samuel how to respond (v. 9). 

At times we have trouble tuning in and clearly discerning God’s voice, don’t we? We let unresolved on unconfessed sin create personal static; or we get so wrapped up in self that we can’t hear the Savior’s call. It’s in those times we need to do what Dennis Jernigan and Twila Paris sing in the linked song above … to go to a quiet place, set aside personal desires, and listen for God’s voice.

And as with Samuel, God will honor our humility and surrender; and we can more clearly hear His call or His voice and find His peace, … but only when we can set aside our selfish static and, in surrender, humbly seek His call in prayer [see Prov. 3:5-6 and Phil. 4:6-7 above].

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … I’m here seeking to hear Your voice. Speak to me clearly, Lord. … Amen

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

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