Date: Tuesday,
June 16, 2015
Chapters: Psalms
43-47
Message Title: Listening For God

Hello
My Friend,

When was the last time you honestly just sat
still and listened to all the things that are around you? It is
amazing what you hear when all is quiet, birds chirping, rain
dropping, the wind, the air conditioning coming on, a fan whistling.
Whether they are peaceful or annoying, it does not take long before
you get use to them and do not notice them as much. Now, think back
to the time when you first received Christ as your Saviour, or
realized that it was time to have Him in your life, you were scared,
excited, and eager, you heard God speaking to you and listened to
every word He said. Just like that noise that becomes something we do
not notice after some time, God's voice can become something we do
not notice as well. We can hear His voice again, we just have to be
still and listen. “Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
- Revelation 3:20.

As Christians, we all have times in our
lives when we really feel the presence of God, and yet other times,
often times of struggle, we find ourselves wondering where He is.
It's times like these when we need to remember that God is always
with us, He's not forsaken us, He's just standing back to see how we
are going to handle all this. We can handle times of struggle when we
do not see God by praising Him. “Judge me, O
God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from
the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength:
why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the
oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them
lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy
tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my
exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within
me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my
countenance, and my God.” - Psalms 43.

It's easy
to praise God when things are going good, but wait, is it really? How
often do we praise Him when things are going our way? We might be
surprised at how little we do. God wants our praise when things are
going well and when they are not. Sadly, but not intentionally, we do
forget to praise God when things are going well, and if it happens
too often we can be sure that affliction will come since it's the
only way He gets our attention sometimes. “Wherein
ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in
heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ: Wherefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient
children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in
your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye
holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye
holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:6,7,13-16.

Whether
we realize it or not, it is much easier to hear God's voice when we
are in the midst of struggles. Why? When things are going well we can
become confident that we can handle everything on our own and do not
need God's help. God wants to be in every part of our lives, He never
wants us to get to the point that we think that do not need Him. When
struggles come, that is when we need to stop and think if we have
neglected God in any way. “God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we
fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and
be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city
of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in
the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and
that right early. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” - Psalms
46:1-5,10.

While we do not intend to forget that God is
with us even when things are going well, it happens more often that
we realize. However, God does know our heart and if it takes
affliction to get us to be still and listen to Him, that is what He
will do. “Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of
God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your
part he is glorified.” - 1 Peter 4:12-14.

God
truly is our refuge during our affliction, He will give us hope and
encouragement even through the darkest times. I do not know how I
made it through twenty-five years of my life without hearing God, but
I do know that He was watching over me the entire time waiting for me
to be still and listen to Him. I admit it was in the midst of a
severe struggle that I finally heard Him. “But
the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,
stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.

God
speaks to us in many ways, most of all through His Word, without His
Word we would still be trying to make it through this journey on
earth without going insane, which incidentally many have and
survived. David faced a lot of struggles, but he knew he could not
get through them without God. “Great is the
LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the
mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the
whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of
the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. As we have
heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city
of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. We have thought of
thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. According to
thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy
right hand is full of righteousness. For this God is our God for ever
and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” - Psalms
48:1-3,8-10,14.

Yes, even upon death, God is our guide, we
will either be directed to heaven or hell, no amount of money,
serving God, or power we have here on earth will save us from hell,
we must have received Jesus Christ as our Saviour before we die or we
will be sent straight to hell upon our death. God is speaking to you
in some way, be still and listen for Him, He will give you what you
need.“If any man have ears to hear, let
him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear
shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he
that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”
- Mark 4:23-25.

Today's Prayer:
God, In the midst of my struggles I admit that I do not always hear
You speaking to me. I try so hard, but cannot hear You through all
the noise in my head telling me to just give up. Lord, break through
the voices in my head and all the distractions of the day and let me
hear You. Help me to be still and listen for You among all the chaos,
lead me and guide me in Your will, and help me to trust You through
my struggles, I know I can endure them through You. In Jesus' name.
Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for
you,
Christina

Subscribe:
Daily
Devotion
Ready To Follow Jesus?:
God's Price
Visit
Our Website: I'm
Following Jesus
Like Us On
Facebook: I'm
Following Jesus
Copyright © 2015 I'm Following Jesus,
All rights reserved.