Speak Lord, I Am Listening

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“Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 23:12

 

One of the most challenging things I have discovered in my ministry as a pastor is the personal application of biblical truth. It’s tough to do it myself, and it’s tough to help others do it also. There are also layers of application. Asking someone to help bring food in for the Men’s Homeless Shelter is a good thing to do, but digging down into the reason why we should give to someone in need is a deeper level of application. It is also one that we tend to avoid because it’s more difficult.

Here’s the reason why we should go deep. Real life flows out of our heart. Fullness of life comes from our heart being filled with the fullness of God. If our heart is not in it, then we are cheating ourselves of the blessing that the Lord wants to give us. We are standing in the way of knowing God as fully as he wants us to know him.

Now there are many things in this life that are not worth putting our heart into. We all have hoops to jump through that just need to get done. The instruction from God’s Word is not one of them. Whenever we hear the preaching of the Word or the teaching of the Word we should recognize that the Lord wants to speak to us. We should be ready to apply our heart to the things the Lord shows us.

Lord, help me to engage my heart in the learning of the truth of your Word. Give me the ability to really hear what you are saying to me through your Word and by your Spirit. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening. Amen.

 

Devoted to keeping Jesus Christ the main thing.

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