“And he walks with me and he talks with me
He Walks With Me by Merle Haggard
And he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.”
There is power in making space to listen to Yahweh.
You easily declare the verses,
“I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2
But, do you really look to Him for help, or are you more inclined to find the answers yourself?
While working on the ministry last year, I felt the nudge to spend more time with the Lord inquiring His counsel. I’d do well at times, but distractions crept up and got in the way. Producing the work seemed more urgent than sitting and listening. How could I find time to do both?
Do you ever have that? Jesus calls out to you and wants your time and attention, but you’re too busy to stop and give Him what He needs? I know it’s hard to honestly answer that question. You know the response should always be, “Jesus,” but if you’re being truly honest, how many times have you done that?
But – what if? What if you rescheduled your day to include Jesus? What if you got up earlier to spend time in His word? What if you sat around the breakfast table with your family and shared even just one verse with them for the day to think about? What if you left your checklist of things to accomplish at work, and chose to listen to the words of the worship music in the car, to allow your heart to give praise to the Lord? What if you invited Jesus into your work and asked Him what He wants you to do that day? What if you decided to not watch TV tonight and actually have a conversation with your spouse or that friend that’s been on your mind? What if you just sat in the silence and thanked the Lord for your day? How would that change things for you?
Jesus had a demanding schedule. He understood the never-ending workload and responsibilities. He was surrounded by crowds of people all needing His help. He went without food so He could share the gospel. He healed the sick and felt power leave Him. He fought the enemy.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Mark 1:35
Jesus knew that as long as the earth is in existence, there will always be needs. Even though He is God Himself, He knew that His human body needed rest and renewing. He chose to leave the crowds and find a quiet place to meet with the Father. He asked for His help and counsel. He let the Spirit renew His strength so that He could continue to do what was needed.
Now He asks the same from you because He knows you need it. It’s like oxygen for your soul. It’s wisdom for your mind. It’s peace for your emotions. It’s strength for your body. The more you’re in His word and listening for His voice, the more you’ll be able to recognize the difference between the Lord, yours, and the enemy’s voices. And that is critical!
When I’ve taken time to spend with Jesus, I’ve noticed that there is so much more life and peace when I give Him the first fruits of my day. The more I make room for Him to lead and be involved, the more peace, joy, and hope fills me.
But it’s a choice. The enemy’s main goal is to take our eyes off the Creator and put them onto the creation. He wants to entice and distract us away from the Lord because he knows that’s where our peace and strength comes from. The more he can keep us away, the more we are trapped in our own control and ideas. This leads to fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and overwhelm.
So, what can you do to put your eyes back on the Creator and listen?
Are you overwhelmed?
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
Stop what you’re doing for a minute and ask Jesus what you should do. Even though you may have tight deadlines and feel the pressure of something needing to get done, you’ll actually find you have more time when you hit the pause button and recenter your mind and heart on Jesus. He’ll give you the answer when you ask Him, if you give a moment to actually listen.
Are you feeling fear?
“There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love.” – 1 John 4:18
Weigh out the pros and cons of what would happen if your fear came true and if it didn’t. It’s a fact that the majority of your fears don’t actually come true. And, for the ones that do, the outcome is not usually as bad as you’d anticipate.
Give it over to Jesus. Stop and remind yourself of Yahweh’s love for you. Let His perfect love drive out the fear the enemy has planted in you.
Are you feeling worried and/or anxious?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34
Look back over your life. Has the Lord been faithful to you? Has He provided for your needs? Has He delivered you from harm? Be faithful to Him and look to Him in all things. He will show you the way you are to go, and will meet all of your needs. Plan for tomorrow but don’t dwell on it. The Lord will go before you and be with you in that day too. If you serve Jesus, He will give to you in return, “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Trust the Lord in everything and He will show you the way. It is powerful to sit and listen to Yahweh.
“…Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:20b-21
