hearing God

Wow! Can't believe that it's been almost two months since I posted anything on here ...

Well tonight, as I was putting my kids to bed, my daughter Rachel asked me a question that was heavy on her mind after she told me the story that she had learned about Samuel when God talked with him. She asked me, "So how am I supposed to hear God when he's invisible?" Hmmm... That's a good question I told her and as I tried to explain to her some of the ways that God speaks to us, I realized that at this time for her mind to wrap around this idea of a God whom she can't see and hearing his voice was something that might not be so easy for her to grasp...

When I think of it, I know it's sometimes one of those things where I am challenged and pray for discernment in knowing if it is God's voice that I'm hearing or if it's mine.

After a little explaining and trying to give illustrations of how we may not be able to see some things, but we can see the effects of those things ... I told her that God promises her that if she seeks for, listens for, and looks for God with all her heart that he promises that she'll find him and hear and see him...

A moment later, my son, Noah, hearing our conversation asked me, "So what does God sound like?" ... I told him sometimes God speaks to us in a still small voice and so we've got to pay close attention to him ...

As I tucked them in for the night, I encouraged them to learn as much as they can from the Bible about God ... to listen closely to the stories about God that they learn at church and from us at home ... and to ask God to speak to them ....

So I'm sitting here tonight outside as the sun sets and I pray that God will reveal himself to my kids and let them hear his voice ... I'm so glad that they're asking the questions ... I know that we were created to hear is voice and commune with him and so I pray that it would happen for them ... that it would be as natural for them to talk with and hear God as it is for them to talk with each other ...

And then I'm reminded for myself ... to listen ... and listen closely for the voice of my Savior ...

As Samuel said, "Speak (Lord), for your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10