PSALM 85:8 | HE SPEAKS PEACE
Psalm 85:8 ESV says, “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”
Do you want to hear what God has to say?
When was the last time you got desperate for God to speak to you? I remember recently I was facing a challenging situation in our long journey of transition to where God is leading us. In a moment of need, I remember walking out into an open field nearby and looking up into the night sky with my hands open wide. Sure, it was a bit dramatic, but I needed to hear what God would say to me.
He doesn’t always respond the way we want to, but he responds with what we need. I wanted him to make all my problems disappear, but he wanted to strengthen me with his peace. Looking back, I realize the plan I thought I desperately needed was nothing compared to the following opportunities.
There is a critical posture we need to learn about from this verse. It is humble listening.
We know God is a God of peace, so when he speaks, we can expect nothing less. Still, for every word that God would speak to us through his word, a friend, or the Holy Spirit, countless other words are being spoken over us. Some of these voices are merely distractions, unhelpful maybe, but not wrong. Other voices are outright lies from our spiritual enemy. These other voices come at us constantly, and if we don’t take the time to tune into what God is saying, we will get confused and disoriented.
Of course, listening to God is easier said than done. I don’t have a perfect instruction manual for hearing God because there is no one way that God delivers his messages to us. I do know that he speaks and makes himself known. That is the whole premise for our daily commitment to seek the Lord in his word.
Let’s start with the basics today. Instead of trying to figure out the complex ways that God reaches humanity, let's try listening. Maybe you don’t think God would ever speak to you, but if you take the time to listen and get close to God, you might learn that an encounter is a breath away. We do this when we intentionally spend time with God in prayer, reading his word, and worshipping him. Sometimes this means setting aside a whole hour in the morning to know him more. Other times it means taking the five-minute commute to work to lift a prayer of thanks.
Let this be your prayer today, “God, I want to hear your words of peace.”
Amen.
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