Dear Friends of “Dial Daily Bread,”
Almost a thousand times the Hebrew word shama occurs in the Old Testament--the word that means listen, hearken, hear. Many of these texts are appeals to us to listen to what the Lord is telling us. Satan wants us to think that God is indifferent toward us, that He is waiting for us to take the initiative, and if we don’t take the initiative, then too bad for us--God just stands back and leaves us alone.
That is not true. Heaven is calling you: your phone is ringing--God is calling. In Isaiah 30:21 the Lord says, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,'" and in Isaiah 55:2, 3: "Hearken diligently unto Me, … incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live."
And the New Testament has the same message--Jesus says that God is a heavenly Father who loves us more than any earthly father could love his children. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink'" (John 7:37). Jesus is calling us today--our job is to listen.
And if we will listen, then the Holy Spirit can energize us to do the right thing. Have you noticed when you kneel to pray to the Lord, and you wait before Him, that His Holy Spirit does convict you of what you ought to do? He has not forsaken you--He is calling to you. Listen! The Lord is giving you His full attention as if you were the only person in the world. Give Him a chance to speak to you through His word.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: 1994 Phone Message.
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