PRAISE THE LORD IN 2024!
Dear Church Family,
It’s a new year given to us by the Lord. How we use it will depend a great deal on how well we follow the Lord. Using the tools He’s given, His Spirit, His Word, His Church, Prayer and The Gospel, we will redeem our families, our community, our work and our souls. How will we know what to do? We need to listen intently for His still, small voice.
A farmer lost his watch in the barn. The watch had been given to him by his grandfather and meant a lot to the farmer, so he searched the barn diligently, but he couldn’t find the watch.
The farmer heard some kids playing nearby and called them over to the barn. He asked if they would help him find the watch. “A dollar to the one who finds it.”
The kids all searched for a few minutes, but none of them found it.
As the kids were leaving, one young man hung back and asked the farmer if he could try again.
“Sure! I hope you can find it,” said the farmer.
The boy walked into the barn and 30 minutes later, he came out with the watch!
The farmer was relieved and amazed. As he rewarded the young man with a $5 bill, he asked, ”How did you find it when all the rest of us could not?”
The young man replied, ”I just sat still and listened. In the silence, after a while, I could hear the ticking. I followed the sound to the watch.”
As I look at pictures of our Church family through 2023, there are a lot of images of people sitting and listening. As I preach to you on Sundays, I see you listening. Some are dozing, but not many! Some are distracted by their kids. Some are not there, and they should have been. But listening is a necessary activity for Christ followers. Sitting still and listening.
..Incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:2-5
Listen carefully to Me…And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live…Isaiah 55:2-3
Be still, and know that I am God…Psalm 46:10
In 1 Samuel 3, we read about the boy, Samuel, as he was called by the Lord in the night. He was just a child, and he thought that the priest he served was calling him. But, Eli the priest realized that Samuel was being called by God. He told the boy to go lie down and if he was called again, to say “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” God spoke to Samuel, called him to prophecy, and to lead Israel powerfully for all his life.
Good words for 2024, “SPEAK, LORD, YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING!”
Bro Jonathan
Leave a Reply