Category Archives: Hearing

Admonished, Advice, Angels, Bible, Commands, Eternity, Following, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Obedience, Scripture

ADMONISHED

ZECHARIAH 3:6

“And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,”

This time of the year here in the U.S. there are a lot of graduation ceremonies. At most high school and college graduations there will be a speaker, an invited guest. This person may be an alum, a celebrity, a politician or an educator. The purpose of this person’s speech is to admonish, to exhort, to challenge and to remind the students of their responsibilities that lie ahead. I have a granddaughter graduating this year from high school. I am sure she will hear such a speech.

You may question why I would do a devotional on such an insignificant verse. Really? Is any verse insignificant if it is inspired by God? I don’t think so. Look at the verse. The “angel of the Lord” is considered by many to be Jesus Christ who appears throughout the Old Testament. He is reminding Joshua of what is about to come. In the next four verses we will see what He says. This admonishment wasn’t cruel or harsh. It was just a firm reminder.

APPLICATION

I usually see “admonishments” in a negative way. Maybe that’s because I have actually received a lot of those. But an admonishment is not meant to be negative if it comes from the Lord. Remember, His desire is to always draw you to Him. He is not trying to scare you away. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

I don’t want to react to God’s voice like a feral cat that runs away if you try to approach. I want to be like the family dog that runs to the door to greet you when they hear your car pull into the driveway. They can’t wait to see you. That’s exactly how I want to react when God admonishes me. He may just want to remind me of my purpose or to tell me He loves me.

When God speaks to you, how do you react? Well, Carl, I haven’t heard God speak to me? Oh, you are missing out. Get alone with Him and ask Him to talk to you. You’ve got to listen, though. You’ve got to get quiet and wait. You have to tune your ear to His voice. Then when He does speak you can recognize it. And then hang on. His words of admonishment will be welcomed then.

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Speak that my soul may hear.

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Advocate, Bible, Brokenness, Caregiver, Hearing, Kingdom, Restoration, Scripture

CRAFTSMANSHIP

ZECHARIAH 1:20

“Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.” 

My dad was a craftsman. He was self-taught, having worked with wood all his life. As a boy and young man, he had to work on the farm where they had to rebuild, repair and create new items for their work. I am sure this helped him learn the skills he showed me as I was growing up. He continued to tinker with this craft until he was no longer able to do so. He knew how to fix stuff.

The Lord is gracious, isn’t He? You see, He not only showed Zechariah the four horns that had destroyed the nation, but He also showed him four craftsmen who would rebuild. You can just imagine the joy Zechariah felt when he learned this. This message of hope for the nation was needed. Having returned from their latest exile, this message of hope was just what the people, needed to hear.

APPLICATION

And what comforting words those are to us today. God is still rebuilding lives. He is still repairing the broken and thrown away things. Are you broken? Do you feel as if you have been thrown on the garbage heap of life? Take heart, my friend. God can take you just like you are and restore you into a useable vessel, fit for His kingdom.

Just as my dad would take a broken and discarded rocker and rebuild it into a beautiful and useable heirloom, our God will restore you. Everything my dad repaired will one day burn, but you, beloved, will never be discarded by the hand of the One who rebuilt you.

I am reminded of the words of Peter in 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” You were restored for a purpose. Now, you are the craftsman, spreading the words of the Gospel, which always builds up and never tears down.

Create in me a new heart, O God. Make my hands Your hands. 

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Abiding, Angels, Authority, Awe, Bible, Encouragement, Fear, Hearing, Listening, Scripture

WHO IS THAT MAN?

ZECHARIAH 1:8

“I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him.” 

Have you ever been out at night and saw someone in the distance that you could not quite make out? I know I’ve done that several times. It usually doesn’t bother me if I’m with someone else or it’s in a place that I know. But if that happens when I’m alone or in an uncertain area, I can get a little concerned. I may even holler at the person to identify themselves. I am sure you’ve been there.

Zechariah sees a man riding a red horse and he was among the myrtle trees. Many scholars speculate who this man may be. Was it Michael, the archangel? Was it just an angel? Was it Jesus? We don’t know for certain since he does not identify himself by name. But we know one thing. He was in charge of those who rode behind him. We will see him over the next several verses. He has a message for Zechariah.

APPLICATION

What would you do if an angel or the Lord appeared before you? Well, Carl, I would probably run away terrified. Really? I have to believe if the Lord sent an angel to me or if He Himself appeared, I would know it. I would want to be in His presence.

Remember Paul’s experience? Acts 9:5-6 reads, “5 And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.’”

Whenever an angel or the Lord appears, they bring a message. Sometimes it is a message of judgment. Sometimes it is a message of direction. God is still delivering His message. It comes in the form of a book – the Bible. In its pages are all the messages from Him you need to hear. We don’t need an angel to appear to us. We just need to spend more time reading and listening.

As I have spent more and more time in the Word, He has revealed more and more of Himself to me. His Word is inexhaustible. It will never get old. Take some time today and dig in deeper to this verse. Dissect it. Tear it apart and put it back together again. Most importantly, listen to the Lord as He speaks to you, just like that man who appeared to Zechariah.

Lord God, I do not have to wonder who You are. You have shown Yourself to me time and time again through Your Word.

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Accountability, Bible, Boundaries, Commands, Direction, Following, Hearing, Obedience, Scripture

YOU KNOW BETTER

ZECHARIAH 1:4

“‘Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, “This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’” But they did not listen or pay attention to Me,’ declares the LORD. “

I can’t recall the number of times my parents told me to not do something. I heard them, but I did not listen. You see, I knew better than to do the things I was doing. I knew doing them would get me in trouble if I was caught. I got to be pretty sneaky. My mom and dad went to heaven not knowing about some of them. Hmmm, now that they are up there, do they know? Lol

The Israelite’s fathers did not listen or pay attention to the Lord’s commands. They heard them over and over again. They knew the Law. They knew the commandments. However, they chose to live as if they did not care. The Hebrew word for “pay attention” means to prick up the ears. Just picture a dog laying down and resting. When you call its name, what does it do first? It pricks up its ears. You see, the Israelites had not pricked up their ears to listen to the Lord.

APPLICATION

What is the Lord telling us in this verse? Prick up your ears! Listen! Do what I say! Sounds easy enough, so why don’t we do it? Because we are just as stubborn as those Israelites who did not listen and pay attention. We want to do what we want, not what the Lord has instructed us to do.

Do you know what happened nine times out of ten when I did not follow my parents’ rules? I got in trouble. Yep, I usually was disciplined. Same is true when I don’t follow God’s rules. I find myself in trouble. God will discipline those whom He loves. Aren’t you glad? Probably not, if you are honest. But it is for our good. We know that, right?

Psalm 103:17-18 paints a beautiful picture of this. “17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, and His justice to the children’s children, 18 to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts, so as to do them.” I can’t say it any better than that.

O Lord, I know Your commands are for my good. Lead me in the path that is true and right.

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Bible, Commands, Glory, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Messages, Scripture, Witnessing

JUST GOD’S WORDS

HAGGAI 2:2

 “‘Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,’”

There’s a game I used to play a lot with children. You line the kids up and then give the first one in the line a message to pass down the line. The message should be clear but perhaps a little challenging. Let the children pass it down the line very quietly so only the person they are talking to can hear it. The only rule is they can only tell it once to the person they are passing it to. At the end of the line the last child will say what they heard out loud. Normally, the last message is nothing like the one you told the first child. The game is called Rumors.

Haggai is not playing a game with the Israelites. God isn’t whispering in his ear and asking him to pass it along to see how wrong they can get it. No! God speaks clearly. His words are precise. He is giving Haggai a message to deliver to His people. Why? Well, we will see that in the coming days. Come back to this blog site and watch how God’s message can bring peace and comfort.

APPLICATION

When God speaks, we must share. His message to us is never meant just for us. Now, it may be a very personal message. But God wants His words known to the world. You may ask How do I know that it is God speaking to me? Simple. Does the message glorify Him? Does it agree with Scripture. You can be assured that any message you get from the devil will do neither.

What is the message God has given you? What! You haven’t heard from Him? Are you listening? You can’t hear God unless you have your ears tuned in to hear His voice. God normally isn’t going to shout it to you in claps of thunder. His message will come to you as you study His Word or meditate on a passage. Perhaps in the quietness of your prayer time He will speak.

Once you hear the message, though, tell everyone. They may think you are a little “off,” but that is okay. Tell them how God loves them. Tell them how they can experience that love. Tell them they have a Savior in Christ. You see, God is still proclaiming that message. We have work that needs to be done. Let’s go.

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.

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Abiding, Bible, Commands, Hearing, Listening, Obedience, Scripture

WHO IS THAT AGAIN?

HAGGAI 1:7

“The LORD of armies says this: ‘Consider your ways!’”

As I have gotten older, I have noticed I don’t hear as clearly as I used to. In fact, my left ear has some hearing loss. I have also lost a lot of the higher frequencies. So, sometimes when I answer my cellphone, I have to ask the person again who it is. Excuse me, who did you say this is? That person will then repeat what they said, and I most likely will recognize who it is.

The LORD of armies, or LORD of hosts, repeats Himself here. He had just said these exact same words, “consider your ways.” Why would God repeat Himself? All throughout Scripture we see God do this. He wants to emphasize a point. Any good point is worth repeating, right? So, here is the Lord saying once again to the people to watch how they are stepping. He wants to make sure they get this message.

APPLICATION

Repetition is good. In the books we use in Every Man A Warrior, we repeat the skills over and over again. We know that most men need this kind of repetition for it to sink in. They need to hear the message over and over. It needs to become a sort of spiritual muscle memory, much like an athlete practices his swing or shot over and over until it becomes second nature.

However, we need to learn to listen to God the first time. He shouldn’t have to repeat Himself. If you are like me, however, I get so busy with my life that I don’t get quiet enough to hear Him sometimes. In Luke 9:44 Jesus told His disciples to “listen carefully.” He made a point to get their attention. He wanted them to hear clearly what He was about to tell them. He didn’t want any confusion to be had on their part.

Are you listening closely? Does God have to repeat Himself to you? Stop and get quiet. Listen for His voice. He is not speaking so you cannot hear Him. He doesn’t want you guessing it’s Him. Just ask Him to speak. Tune your ears to His frequency. Even though my physical hearing is not as good as it used to be, my spiritual hearing can get better and better as I listen for His voice. Join me.

I hear You, O God. I will follow Your voice wherever You lead.

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Answers, Bible, Hearing, Listening, Prayer, Scripture

WAKE UP!

HABAKKUK 2:19

“‘Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ to a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ That is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath at all inside it.’”

Have you ever tried to wake up someone from a dead sleep? You start out quietly whispering their name. Then you may touch them lightly and saying their name again. Finally, you are shoving and yelling, lol. I used to wake up my daughter with “earthquakes” in her bed. She could sleep so soundly.

God is mocking the false gods in this fifth and final woe He has spoken to Habakkuk. He says to try to wake them. Maybe they are asleep (wink/grin). They may look pretty dressed in their gold and silver, but they are breathless, lifeless, unresponsive.

APPLICATION

Aren’t you glad our God never sleeps and never slumbers (Psalm 121:4)? I don’t have to yell and scream to get His attention. In fact, He is always waiting to listen to me. I don’t mean He is at my beckon call and will just hop to it when I call His name. No, He is always listening and will answer according to His perfect will.

If you aren’t “getting God’s attention,” perhaps it’s because you are praying with the wrong motives or not according to His will. Our God wants to bless us. He can only do that as we seek Him. We may scream and shout until we are without voice. But all it takes to get God’s ear is to speak to Him with an open heart and willing spirit.

I am reminded of David’s Psalm 51. He cried out in verses 15-17, “15Lord, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.” Talk to Him today.

Thank You, Lord, for listening to me. Thank You that You are bending Your ear to hear my voice.

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Bible, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Looking, Obedience, Scripture

GOD’S MESSENGERS

HABAKKUK 1:6

“For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that grim and impetuous people who march throughout the earth, to take possession of dwelling places that are not theirs.”

Sometimes we get our lessons from the strangest people or situations. I have been taught great truths from someone I met in an airport or maybe on the street. Hearing of their journey with Christ has given me new insight into mine. Hearing of their struggles with faith has taught me to trust more.

God is now telling Habakkuk what is going to happen (yesterday’s blog set this up, in case you missed it). God is going to use the Chaldeans to judge Israel. What!!! Why would God use such a “grim and impetuous people”? God’s instruments of judgment are not what we would choose, most His choice is always the perfect one.

APPLICATION

Who are what is God using right now in your life to teach you something? It doesn’t have to be a “Chaldean” like Habakkuk had to face. No, it could be the kind, elderly neighbor who just wants to talk. Your patience runs thin sometimes when you see them coming across the street. You know you are in for at least a thirty-minute conversation.

May I suggest that you take the time to listen. They may have something to say to you that you need to hear. God can use others around us to speak a message to us. Recently, a colleague of mine had that exact experience. Someone gave them a message they needed to hear which resulted in this person taking action, an action they had been pondering for some time.

I am thankful that we don’t get all our “sermons” on Sunday mornings. Many of them are spoken to us every day if we will just take the time to listen. So, are you listening? In your conversations, texts or emails today, look for that message you need to hear.

Father, I praise You for using others around me to speak to me. I want to hear Your voice no matter who it comes through.

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Abiding, Answers, Bible, Hearing, Listening, Scripture, Seeking

DON’T YOU HEAR ME, GOD?

HABAKKUK 1:2

“How long, LORD, have I called for help, and You do not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save.”

I have officially reached the age where I can admit I have trouble hearing. It is not terrible, and I don’t think I need hearing aids yet. But some days around our house it can get quite comical as my wife and I attempt a conversation. Those conversations are even more comical if we are not in the same room and are trying to talk.

Habakkuk is not getting an answer from God. The conversation seems to be way. He says, “I called for help, and You do not hear.” He goes even further and says, “You do not save.” Habakkuk must have been pretty desperate to talk to God that way. But just you wait and see how God answers.

APPLICATION

I have been accused of not listening sometimes. Whether it be my wife, children, grandchildren, employees or friends, people want to be heard. And people want to know that God is listening. He always is, even if His answer is slow in coming.

Two of my favorite verses on God listening are Psalm 40:1 and Psalm 118:5

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and He reached down to me and heard my cry.”

“From my distress I called upon the LORD; the LORD answered me and put me in an open space.”

Don’t you just love that? He reached down. He heard my cry. The Lord answered. What else could you want? God is there. He was there when Habakkuk cried out. Sometimes He asks us to wait – just wait – just wait – just wait. And when He answers it is always at the perfect time. Just wait.

I will wait for You, O Lord. I know You are there, even when I don’t feel You. You are always watching and listening.

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Bible, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Scripture, Voice

NO VOLUME

NAHUM 2:13

“‘Behold, I am against you,’ declares the LORD of armies. ‘I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.’”

I have a problem with my truck radio. The little cover for the volume knob is loose, so I have to squeeze the knob to adjust the volume. That’s not a problem if I am sitting still in my truck. But trying to do that while driving is a little difficult. A radio with no or low volume isn’t worth much, is it?

The Lord is telling Nineveh that they will no longer hear the messages from their messengers. Why? Because the messengers, along with the rest of the Ninevites, have been eliminated. They can listen all the want, but they will not hear a thing. No message – no signal – no word!

APPLICATION

There is nothing worse than not hearing God’s voice. So many people go through life not hearing it, though. They do not even realize they can. They think that if they just do all the expected things in church, they are doing okay. Oh, listen to me, brothers and sisters. If you are not hearing God’s voice, you are missing out.

What do you mean, Carl? How can I hear God’s voice? I am glad you asked. Through a disciplined prayer life and Quiet Time, God will speak to you. How do I know that? Because I have heard it myself and dozens of others tell me the same thing. When we get alone with God and truly concentrate on His Word and talk with Him, He speaks.

The Holy Spirit, who lives within you, will speak for Him. It won’t be a fuzzy connection, like you get sometimes on your radio. It will be crystal clear. God is not trying to make you guess if it is Him or not. He will speak to you so that you know it is Him. Do you want that? Then get alone with Him today and ask Him to speak.

Lord, speak to me. I want to hear Your voice.

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