Listen to God

Isa 66:1-2, 4

"Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the LORD.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word....
4 Because, when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear."

David Wells has made the point that God’s holiness does not weigh heavily upon us as it used to, as it did for Isaiah. The same is true of God’s Word. The Church has lost a due sense of trembling at God’s Word. Worship is meeting with God, hearing Him speak and responding in praise and prayer. It is telling that for the church today, worship is mostly singing, it is what WE do. And while we need to be more engaged and active in our worship, we need to worship first by listening to God’s Word. We read responsively to accentuate our participation in worship, but we mustn’t lose sight that God is speaking to us. You know how annoying the person is who isn’t really listening to you, and the nanosecond you’re done they have a yeah but, a rejoinder. They aren’t really listening. We can do this to God. Do we really expect guidance and direction from Him in His Word? Do we stay open to His leading as we read and understand the Bible? Or have we already decided what needs to be done on our own?

9/23/12