I have been a bad listener. I slept through a lot of classes in college, there’s times I zone out church and don’t listen to the sermon, and lately I have been bad about listening to God. I am still reading His word everyday, but it has been more informational than relational. I know I can hear God through his word, but only if I am listening. I would do my daily devotions and then quickly start my day; calling youth pastors, organizing gear. I was not listening to God. I didn’t even give him a chance to talk to me. I want to hear God, which means I have to LISTEN.
The youth group at my church is reading through Luke and this week’s reading is Luke 4-6. In those three chapters I found 4 examples where Jesus found solitude to talk to and LISTEN to his Father.
Luke 4:1 “…was led by the Spirit in the desert.” (This is where he was tempted by the devil for 40 days. He says some pretty solid stuff to combat the temptations)
Luke 4:42a “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.”
Luke 5:16 The crowds were looking for him, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Luke 6:12 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”
These few verses speak for themselves. I need to find solitude so I can listen to God. God wants to speak to us all if we would only LISTEN.
Please pray that students would LISTEN to God as they find solitude in the mountains on a Compass Wilderness trip this fall. And pray that they will long for that conversation with God so much that they will find solitude in their busy, everyday lives after the trip.
- Shane
