Daily devotional, Nov 28, 2023 The P.A. System
"When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him." Numbers 7:89
Even at this digital age, the Public Address or P.A. System continues to be widely used. It is the best way to convey a message to anyone within an enclosed space, or even outdoors within a known radius. It can communicate to one and it can communicate to all.
The Lord communicates to each of us. He invites us to talk to Him and He sends us messages day by day, and it is up to us to listen. Some have no problem hearing what God wants to tell them, and live their lives under His guidance. Some are too busy even to hear Him speak. Some on the other hand do not recognize His voice because there are countless other voices competing for their hearing. And some claim that God is silent to them.
The Bible however is clear in telling us that the children of God hear His voice, and remain protected in His grace:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."
John 10:27-28
If you genuinely desire to hear Him, and what He has to say to you, then go ahead and seek the Lord. In His letter, the Prophet Jeremiah echoed the Lord’s message to the people of Judah during their captivity in Babylon:
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13
If we just pray hard enough, turn from our wicked ways, repent, and learn more about Jesus, we will find Him. We will hear His voice. Of course you have to accept Him first as your Personal Lord and Savior, and then abide in Him, so that the Holy Spirit will be with you always. The Holy Spirit is the Lord’s voice within each of us believers. In Jesus’ own words as quoted by the beloved disciple John:
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
John 16:13
So how do we put this into practice? How do we invite the Holy Spirit and communicate with God? We pray everyday. We have to pray with no distractions, and ideally, it should be the first thing that we do when we wake up.
As mothers, it may be hard to wake up earlier than we should but it is doubly harder to go about the whole day without seeking guidance from the Lord and knowing what He has to say. Waking up before the children get up is just about the right time to commune with God.
So this is how we should pray every morning as taught by our Lord and Savior Himself in the Gospel of Matthew:
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Matthew 6:6
Now follow this up with scripture reading. Have a devotional or a bible reading guide that will tell you what verses to read in the bible. You can have a devotional app in your phone and then find the verses in your physical copy of the bible. You can also use the mass guide for the readings of the day. Underline or highlight phrases that seem to be talking to you. Rewrite them in your journal if you want to go back to it. Some write it in cue cards and keep it in a jar. Do what makes you feel at peace.
If you are new to bible reading and have no devotional book or scripture reading guide yet, then maybe you want to start from any of the four gospels: choose from the Book of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. And then follow these up with the Book of Acts and then the various letters of St. Paul to the church. The important thing is you start reading the word of God now and then make it a daily habit.
Do not forget to pray before reading. Ask guidance from the Lord so that He can help you understand the scriptures, and apply it in your life. Make this a habit everyday, and you will start hearing His voice.
"Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one’s words? For God does speak—now one way, now another --though no one perceives it." Job 33:13-14
So how does God “talk” to you? In biblical times, God spoke through prophets, angels, a burning bush, through an audible voice, dreams and visions. These days we can hear His voice when we earnestly seek Him. Here are some of the ways he can speak to us:
1. The Lord can speak to you through His word. Reflect on your bible reading for the day, and think hard if there is anything in the scriptures that is applicable to your current situation. Readings in a bible study group maybe helpful too so consider joining one.
2. The Lord can speak to you through a Homily or Preaching. Sunday worship with other believers is important in praising God and asking for guidance. Pay close attention to the sermon of the pastor or the priest because God may use his words to communicate to you.
3. The Lord may speak to you through a missionary. It is not entirely impossible for the Lord to use other human beings to tell you something important. Sometimes missionaries are used for this purpose, so do not turn your backs on them.
4. He can speak to you through a worship song. It is important that we expose ourselves to worship music, and of course participate in the singing of Hymns in church. The Lord can use the lyrics of these songs to tell you something.
5. The words of a godly friend. Sometimes the advice, or the simple messages of a godly friend can indeed come from God. Sometimes there are friends who spontaneously send out bible verses, words of encouragement, or plainly talk to us about godly life in general. Pay attention and do not shrug off conversations like this as awkward or boring. If your friend has been inviting you to join her bible study group or visit her church, or even talk to you about God, make time to listen.
6. God may talk to you amid your quiet time or when your heart is still and peaceful. Sometimes the Lord impresses messages to us by asking us to do something, or read a certain scripture. Open your heart and mind to these messages and guidance.
You have to realize that even you will not open up to a person whom you are not close with. No one communicates important things with someone they barely know. Someone who doesn’t spend time with them at all. So build a relationship with the Lord by staying by His feet and listening to Him daily.
If you are unsure if the message you heard is from God then just test it against the scriptures. The Lord will not tell you something that is against His commands and teachings. He will never contradict Himself.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Job 33:12-18 and Jeremiah 29:10-14to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you want to hear God’s voice in your life? Do you earnestly seek Him?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, I want to hear your voice and I need your direction into my life. Give me the spiritual discipline to seek you every single day and nurture a close relationship with you. Amen.