By David Brenneman
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”” Matthew 17:5.
In Matthew 17 at the Transfiguration, the Father spoke. The words spoken, if taken properly, were the 3 Disciples hearing the Will of God the Father. To ‘listen to Him’. Then Jesus speaks to them about what is about to happen. He speaks to them about Elijah, and that the people had done to him as they wished. They realized He was speaking about John the Baptist.
People wonder what the will of God is for them, well it starts here: “Listen to Him!”.
We tend to over think things, from the big to the mundane. We ‘Google’ our symptoms. We ‘Google’ instead of taking the time to learn. We ‘trust our gut’ because that’s what we get told to do. We don’t use libraries that are at our disposal because we’d rather not put forth the effort to go beyond our fingertips.
Do you want to know and to do the will of God the Father? Here’s where it begins. “Listen to Him!”.
We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:3a “This is the will of God for us, our sanctification”.
Listening to God, listening to the Spirit when we read the Word of God, is God’s will for us.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
"So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.” Luke 8:18.
"And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” Mark 4:24-25.
Throughout the Bible, over 100 times, there's references to listening to the Lord. You think that it's being conveyed that it's important?
We live in a global economy that's sole bent is to get us to listen to what all it has to say in order to sway us towards its desires.
We have movies, music and all other forms of entertainment designed to sway our thoughts in subtle ways.
We have those in political positions attempting to use words to sway our minds.
We have those in sports circles attempting to sway us in either politics or towards the over glorification of themselves. Wanting us to be consumed with all aspects of them...not any different than some in the music industry as well.
Who are you listening to?
Who have you given access to your heart and mind?
So you think it foolishness to guard your heart and mind?
It's a war zone out there and here in your own home. The battlefield is of our minds. The endgame is either to spend eternity in Hell or in Heaven, depending on who you listened to.
You can't fully escape the pressures to sway your mind and heart. Your sin nature is ready at all times to sway your thoughts.
God the Father said, at His baptism "Listen to Him". He said it again at the Transfiguration, "Listen to Him".
Listen to Him aligns perfectly with "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
Now comes the next harder part. We need to be in that particular position of being quiet in order to listen. Martha's sitting at the feet of Jesus was to listen and Jesus said she chose the better thing and it would not be taken from her.
Choose the better thing.
Choose to be intentional about listening and seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
Choose to obey God the Father and "listen to Him!".
Cut out as much of the noise of the world as you can. Get away from those things of the world that are going to try to change the way you think and away from the will of God the Father.
CERTAINLY do not think "I can handle it. It's ok. It's not as bad as you say it is". My Dear Reader...it's not me saying it's that bad...read the Scriptures...God the Son...says it's that bad...therefore it's that bad.
Satan's minions can't take the life of a Believer, a child of God, but they can get permission to sway your thinking in order to make you not follow Christ as you ought to be doing. They can't kill you but they can get you to be totally useless to God the Father and God the Son and God the Spirit.
Set your mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world. That's listening to God the Father.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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