Imagine you are in a boardroom and in the middle of a contentious discussion where opinions vary and the stakes are high. The consensus seems elusive and everyone passionately cares for the outcome but seems unwilling to compromise. In those moments, typically, the leader of the group will cut through the noise with clarity and a statement like, “Here is what we are going to do.”
You may have never been in a boardroom, but a family meeting or classroom may have had similar tension. We find comfort at the end of the day when someone speaks with authority and the group then finds a pathway to move forward. We desperately need that leadership and clarity.
Now put yourself into the current context and view the world swirling around you, seemingly out of control. We are desperate for clarity and unity. We long for direction and community. Many, or most if we are honest, take in the panorama of global society and wonder why God seems to be silent. What is He trying to say? Why is He allowing the tragedies around us?
These questions are honest, raw, and understandable. But I encourage you to recognize that God is speaking. God has spoken. We must listen.
Since many around us are acting childlike, let’s just a parenting analogy. If you give your child instructions you will often wait to communicate additional steps until the first steps are completed. We do this to avoid overwhelming and to deliver information in a way that it can be digested.
I cannot speak for God and certainly do not have the authority to put words into His mouth. I can assume that He could be expecting to listen to what He has already spoken rather than frantically expecting a new and fresh word of deliverance.
Repent. Confess. Worship. The Ten Commandments. The Great Commission. The Great Commandment. We could go on and on with other commonly titled Christian names for Scripture. The point is that God has spoken and we must listen!
Ultimately we read in Hebrews 1 that He has spoken to us through Jesus and the Bible reveals to us specifically who Jesus is and how we are to live. What if we were willing to listen to God and do what He says.
Imagine the change in our family, our neighborhoods, and our country if we listened to God and did what He said. He is not silent. He has spoken. We have only to listen.