Shut up and LISTEN!

Have you ever tried to talk to a child and tell them to do something but they keep talking? Perhaps you were disciplining them or just trying to give them instruction. My youngest child is terrible with that! She always feels like she needs to get one last word in and I will have to say something to her along the lines of “Shut it! If I’m talking all you need to be doing is listening.” At that point, once I know she is listening, I can either tell her the lesson that she needs to understand or I can tell her what I need her to do. She then does it because she was able to hear what I was saying. This morning as I was in prayer, the Lord gave me that example and said "Sound familiar" Huh? Nope! Then I heard, ‘how can YOU hear what I’m saying if YOU won’t shut up?” (The Lord has talk to me in Ebony terms!) Ummmmmm…Lord? Isn’t that a little harsh? But He went on to clarify and it was pretty simple. ‘You aren’t in charge so be quiet and just listen to what I’m saying.’ Well…alrighty then! Some of you have gotten off track simply because when God has told you to do something, you kept right on giving your opinion or explaining or interrupting when He was trying to finish. For some of you, shutting up means to stop meddling. Stop doing your own thing when God has told you to do something else. Saints, it’s pretty raw but… shut up and listen!

Okay, so clearly I was a bit taken aback by this word! I like it much better when I can be comforting and encouraging but sometimes God gives me a cautionary word. I say this often but it bears repeating today. God wants you to be whole. He isn’t giving you instruction to hurt or hinder you.  He wants you to be moving steadily towards your purpose. But too often, folks get sidetracked simply by not listening to what He is saying. It’s part of the reason why you may be retaking the same tests over and over again. Sometimes, the instruction seems too hard. Sometimes, it sounds too crazy or too big for you. But I can witness and assure you that it is always better to just listen and obey…the FIRST time!

Let’s look at the parables in Mark 4.This was an odd place to go, in my opinion but here we go! (See? Listening ears!)  Jesus uses these stories to teach Kingdom principles in a way that everyone can understand. The parables in this chapter are building blocks starting with the parable of the sower and the importance of hearing and accepting God’s word. Then the next one is the parable of the lamp which God highlighted for me today.  “Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.  For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.  Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” (Mk. 4: 21 – 23 NLT) Ok…so I didn’t really get how the first section applied but then I sat for a minute and was a bit stunned by what popped in my mind. Could Jesus possibly be talking about purpose? Could He be saying that what you have, your God given purpose is meant to be shared? Could He be saying that everything that has been hidden in you will come forth if you have the ears to hear and understand what He is saying? Could it really all be coming down to paying attention and letting Him reveal all you need to know? I had never thought about that as even a possibility. Then I went on to the second part of the parable.

“Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more.  To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Mk. 4: 24-25 NLT) Hmmmmmm…pretty clear there! The more you listen, the more you will understand. When you don’t listen, understanding gets taken away. How many times have you not listened to God and found yourself confused about the whys and whats of your situation? How many times have you questioned what He said and decided to choose your own answer and found yourself in a mess?  It’s time to just shut up and listen, folks! God is speaking to you and what He is saying is filled with clarity, wisdom and honesty for your situation. Stop messing yourself with your explanations, analysis and opinions. It is literally a waste of your time and energy. You cannot get to the obedience stage until you have listened long enough to know what He is saying and THEN obey.

Folks, God wants the very best for you! He wants you to be whole and to prosper in every area of your life. You know what else? He wants to tell you how to get there and live your best life. The question is are you listening? Are you AVAILABLE to listen? It has to be a part of your every day. You can’t allow yourself to get distracted by the voices of man or the enemy. Your job is to listen out for God’s voice and pay attention. “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2: 1-5 NLT)

AMEN…