Ears to hear...are we truly listening?

Well, if you are following the reading in the Bible today we read Deuteronomy 26 - 28 and it covered a lot of territory about curses, commands, laws, obedience and blessings if we obeyed.  Over and over the past several weeks I have been hearing the words are you listening?  

I saw the photo above and this is a little bit like I've felt.  I've got my ears open (or so I think) to hear, but the words don't come.  I've felt overwhelmed, I've felt less than I should be, I've felt okay I've got this under control and finally I just gave up and admitted okay LORD I'm listening, but I don't get what you are saying.

I still don't know that I've gotten it, but I've admitted it!  

In the quiet of my heart I ask the question Lord where are you in my story, in my journey, in my next step?  Am I taking the steps you desire or the ones that I desire and you know what I've discovered?

I've found that the LORD wants to spend time truly with me.  Yes not doing anything, but being together in silence.  Have you noticed in our world how loud it is?  We are even comfortable if we don't have noise going between the radio, the television or to sit in quiet is unheard of!

I noticed how often it says that Jesus went out alone to practice solitude, to be with His Father just count these times for yourself.  Jesus would pull off alone to pray and listen to His Father, if Jesus needed to do this ,don't we?

I read this quote by Ruth Barton that really struck a chord with me and maybe it will you too!

"The practices of solitude and silence are radical because they challenge us on every level of our existence.  They challenge us on the level of culture:  there is little in Western culture that supports us in entering into what feels like unproductive time for being (beyond human effort) and listening (beyond human thought).  They confront us on the level of our human relationships: they call us away from those relationships for a time so we can give undivided attention to God."

We sometimes call our study time our alone time with God, but are we listening when we have out dozens of commentaries, or dozens of questions from our study to answer?  All of this is good, but the alone time is something we need to consider as well.  The time to just be with God and God alone and listen with our ears wide open for His Words so that we are better able to follow His desires, His commands, and to receive His blessings as well.

Thank you Father for opening my ears once again,

Debbie