Listen and Obey

​God instructed Elijah to go to the top of the "mountain of God," Mt. Horeb, while He passed by.  A powerful wind that shattered rocks, an earthquake and then a fire confronted Elijah, but the Lord was not in any of them.  Finally, their came "a gentle whisper."  This is how the Lord came to Elijah. (1 Kings 19:11-13)
 
The Lord still speaks in a gentle whisper, desiring us to stop our activities and be still before Him so that we can hear what He has to say.  He has much competition through our world that is filled with sounds. Many individuals cannot walk down the street without plugged in ear buds.  Computers and TVs offer us a plethora of talk shows where we can listen to people's opinions on numerous subjects.  We are talking and texting our friends throughout the day and night.  Have we remembered to set aside time to heed the voice of the Lord?
 
Our relationship with the Lord is dependent on hearing Him, and our well-being is dependent upon hearing and obeying Him.  After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites were introduced to the character of God.  They began to see His characteristics manifest before them.  The first one was Jehovah Rapha, the God who Heals.  As God healed the bitter waters at Marah, He told them, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you." (Exodus 15:26) Notice the keys to good health:  Listen carefully and Obey (Do what is right).
 
These directions are repeated in Deuteronomy 28.  When Moses told the children of Israel the key to God's blessings, he said this: "If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all nations on the earth, and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obeyed the voice of the Lord your God." (Verses 1-2, NKJV) We must hear the voice of the Lord to know how to be obedient.  Notice also that these instructions were the first ones that God gave to the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.  In His economy, the things He places first have priority.
 
Jeremiah the prophet had to correct the children of Israel concerning their priorities and activities as written in Chapter 7 of his book.  He stood at the gate of the Lord's house and declared, "Hear the word of the Lord...Reform your ways and actions...You are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless...The Lord declared, 'I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.'" (Verses 2, 3, 8, 13) The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when He said, "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.  But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people.'" (Verses 22-23, NKJV)
 
Jesus affirmed the instructions in the Old Covenant when He said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:22) As Believers we are in covenant with God.  Our part is to listen for His voice and then obey His instructions.  May I suggest that not only does this tell us that we should regularly set aside time just to hear from the Lord but should also be listening for His still small voice as we go throughout our days.  We carry the Presence of God wherever we go and have opportunities to demonstrate His love to others as He directs us into situations and tells us how to reflect His glory.  Let us tune ourselves to the Lord's frequency so that we can hear Him and obey.