A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Tuesday,
June 9,
2020
Young Kudu from Kenya Africa
"My, what big ears you have!"
(Photo by Kevin Walsh)
"Big
Ears"
Message
summary: Today let us, like David, hear with our
own ears and listen carefully to all that God is
speaking to us!
Listen
to this
message on your audio player.
"How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears" (2 Samuel 7:22).
A local bank had an advertising campaign that stressed how well they listen to their customer’s needs. A statement from the campaign is good advice for all: “We want to hear what you are thinking to better understand your needs and expectations. We listen to your questions and concerns. By listening to you we believe we can better meet your needs.”
We want the people we visit weekly, as their chaplains, to know that we listen and are genuinely interested in that which concerns them. Careful listening is hard in some settings, not only in the presence of loud machinery which we encounter in some of our companies, but also in the sense of giving undivided attention.
Although it is very important that we seek to listen carefully to others, it is vitally more important that we listen and give attention to God! I want to hear His voice. Several weeks ago we shared a message titled "Choose to Listen" which stressed the volitional choice we make to listen for God's voice. But there are so many distractions! Sometimes life is loud, other times it just takes a lot of discipline to remain attentive to God’s still small voice!
In His creation God created many types of ears including some creatures such as the Kudu in our lead photo with very large ears to maximize the sense of hearing. May the Lord give us big spiritual ears!
Our daily verse is David’s response to the prophet Nathan’s revelation regarding God’s plans for David and his posterity. It seems David was humbled and extremely moved by this revelation which came at the start of his years as king. His expression of praise is surely one of the greatest in Scripture, "How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You".
However today let us focus on the last phrase in the verse, "as we have heard with our own ears". David is perhaps reflecting here on his careful listening to the prophet’s word to him in the preceding revelation. But we believe he might also be referring to all that He had heard throughout his life regarding God’s greatness, sovereignty, uniqueness and exclusivity.
Are you listening today? Did you pay attention when you read and studied God’s Word this morning? Or was it merely a cursory, obligatory reading? When you pray do you focus on the infinitely intelligent God and use words and thoughtfulness that reflect this knowledge? I’m not saying that our extensive vocabulary or colorful phraseology impresses God, since He fundamentally knows our thoughts and longings of our heart. But each of us is capable of physically praying and reading the Word, even while our mind is wandering elsewhere making mental lists of that which has nothing to do with our quiet time!
We consider a beautiful song, "Speak O Lord". Today let us, like David, hear with our own ears and listen carefully to all that God is speaking to us!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, You know the thoughts and intents
of our heart even before we think or speak them
aloud. Yet You direct us to be faithful in
prayer so that we are in holy communion with You.
You speak to us primarily through the Holy
Scriptures, through Your creation, through the
divine appointments You schedule in our lives, and
through those You use as messengers of the Gospel.
May our minds be alert and our hearts attentive to
that which You reveal to us, that we may give proper
response. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Listen
to this
message on your audio player."How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears" (2 Samuel 7:22).
A local bank had an advertising campaign that stressed how well they listen to their customer’s needs. A statement from the campaign is good advice for all: “We want to hear what you are thinking to better understand your needs and expectations. We listen to your questions and concerns. By listening to you we believe we can better meet your needs.”
We want the people we visit weekly, as their chaplains, to know that we listen and are genuinely interested in that which concerns them. Careful listening is hard in some settings, not only in the presence of loud machinery which we encounter in some of our companies, but also in the sense of giving undivided attention.
Although it is very important that we seek to listen carefully to others, it is vitally more important that we listen and give attention to God! I want to hear His voice. Several weeks ago we shared a message titled "Choose to Listen" which stressed the volitional choice we make to listen for God's voice. But there are so many distractions! Sometimes life is loud, other times it just takes a lot of discipline to remain attentive to God’s still small voice!
In His creation God created many types of ears including some creatures such as the Kudu in our lead photo with very large ears to maximize the sense of hearing. May the Lord give us big spiritual ears!
Our daily verse is David’s response to the prophet Nathan’s revelation regarding God’s plans for David and his posterity. It seems David was humbled and extremely moved by this revelation which came at the start of his years as king. His expression of praise is surely one of the greatest in Scripture, "How great You are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like You, and there is no God but You".
However today let us focus on the last phrase in the verse, "as we have heard with our own ears". David is perhaps reflecting here on his careful listening to the prophet’s word to him in the preceding revelation. But we believe he might also be referring to all that He had heard throughout his life regarding God’s greatness, sovereignty, uniqueness and exclusivity.
Are you listening today? Did you pay attention when you read and studied God’s Word this morning? Or was it merely a cursory, obligatory reading? When you pray do you focus on the infinitely intelligent God and use words and thoughtfulness that reflect this knowledge? I’m not saying that our extensive vocabulary or colorful phraseology impresses God, since He fundamentally knows our thoughts and longings of our heart. But each of us is capable of physically praying and reading the Word, even while our mind is wandering elsewhere making mental lists of that which has nothing to do with our quiet time!
We consider a beautiful song, "Speak O Lord". Today let us, like David, hear with our own ears and listen carefully to all that God is speaking to us!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, You know the thoughts and intents
of our heart even before we think or speak them
aloud. Yet You direct us to be faithful in
prayer so that we are in holy communion with You.
You speak to us primarily through the Holy
Scriptures, through Your creation, through the
divine appointments You schedule in our lives, and
through those You use as messengers of the Gospel.
May our minds be alert and our hearts attentive to
that which You reveal to us, that we may give proper
response. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Speak, O Lord,
as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.
Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow’r that can never fail—
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.
Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.
Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow’r that can never fail—
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.
Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.
Send a message to
Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA