Daily Devotional – 3/2/12 “Keep talking, I’m listening!”

Have you ever talked to someone about something exciting or important to you and they seem to not pay attention but as soon as you stop they say, keep talking I’m listening? Does this sometimes work your nerves, because I know it does mine? But as I was thinking about the devotional topic on last night this came to mind because I would imagine God, as being an omnipresent (means everywhere at the same time) God, he would have to listen to a whole lot of folk talking while doing other things and when you stop, because you don’t think he’s listening, he sends something or someone your way to let you know to keep talking because he’s listening. Isn’t that something? Just because you’ve been praying for guidance and it seems like God isn’t hearing you he says keep talking I’m listening and then someone comes by with the message you need to hear. Even at times when it seems like you’ve been on your knees forever and no help is coming, God is saying keep talking I’m listening. The bible says in Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” See, when you are speaking to God you have to come before him with a clean heart, the right spirit and in truth because John 4:24 says, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” And when you come before him in the right way, he listens even though it seems to you he doesn’t hear.

There was a woman, a single mother, who thought she had everything together until her storm came. She lost her job and it seems like every where she turned in a application it was being denied, even though she was well qualified. She was scrambling to keep food on the table and the little she had was almost gone. She was trying to keep a roof over their head even though it seems like the manager was knocking every day. She was on her knees every night, after the kids went to bed, praying and pleading with God to hear her. She said it was if he had forgotten about her. She was praying for food and clothes for the kids, she was praying for a job so that she could keep the small apartment they shared and she was praying for rest because she was barely sleeping. She kept saying, “Lord, are you listening?” A few days later when she woke, she got the kids up for school and all she had for food was a few eggs and bread so she fixed what she had for breakfast. She sat at the table going through the things she know she needed to do today, the second thing after dropping the kids off was finding a job. When she opened the door to her apartment she found 3 large bags of groceries, some clothes for the kids and a paper with a place circled that was looking for a receptionist that wasn’t far from where she lived. She couldn’t believe it so she began thanking God and in the midst a small card dropped that simply said, keep talking I’m listening. See, what she didn’t know was the place she did her nightly prayer was near the wall of her neighbor’s bedroom and he listened to her night after night and God touched his heart and gave him the means to be the blessing that she needed in the time she needed. Just because it seems like God is too busy to hear you, he is simply saying keep talking I’m listening!

Don’t you know when things happen to you that make you stop in your tracks, it’s God? He doesn’t have to always drop a blessing in your lap to let you know that he is working but he uses folk here, on earth, that look just like you and I to be your blessing. Don’t believe me? God can send a work luncheon on the day you’re hungry with no money. God can send a friend who stops to drop off a card with $20 in it, to thank you for all you do; just at the time you need gas money. God can give the Pastor a message that is the answer to the question you’ve been asking and he can send a job opening as a confirmation to your faith. Just because it seems like God is too busy to hear you, he is simply saying keep talking I’m listening! I know you may be asking why is the death angel choosing my family, why is cancer attacking my body, why aren’t my kids acting right, why does my car keep stopping, why did my job close and why did my friend leave and it seems like God doesn’t hear you but he is saying, keep talking I’m listening. He replies by saying, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)”, the cancer is just a test that’ll be healed real soon, your kids are being kids just keep praying for them and building their foundation in me, that car of yours is no good so I had to remove it in order to send you a new one, your job closed because it was stunting your growth and hindering your elevation and them folks that left they were blocking your blessings and stopping your praise.

God is omniscient, which means all-knowing. He already knows what his children need before you even ask but you still have to ask. But he says in Mark 11:24, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” Keep praying, keep fasting, keep believing, keep holding on and keep the faith because although it seems like God isn’t paying attention, he says KEEP TALKING I’M LISTENING!