|
|
|
Have you ever been in a large family gathering? Or a large crowd of people? Sometimes the noise level gets so loud that you have a hard time hearing the person next to you. I've had my share of situations when I found myself constantly saying, "Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you!" It's frustrating for both parties involved.
There is a verse in the book of Exodus that says, "Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery." (6:9, ESV)
The problem here was not that Israel couldn't physical hear Moses. Rather, they were so distracted by their suffering that they didn't hear a word he said! It's hard sometimes to listen to God during times of hardship, especially when it seems God has decided not to deliver us from that hardship.
Our tendency is to become so focused on the problem(s) we're facing that we can't get our eyes off it! I've certainly had my share of situations like that. And, it's not during the initial times of the problem....at that point I do find myself crying out to God. The switch comes when I have asked God to take away a problem or change a circumstance and He doesn't seem to do what I ask. Israel was in the same situation. God hadn't delivered them from their slavery yet, despite intense pleading for Him to do so. It's like their faith and trust in God was gone and all they could do was be reminded of the problems they were experiencing.
It's an interesting thing to contemplate....Does there come a point when we cry out to God for deliverance, and when He doesn't do what we ask, we get bitter and are no longer willing to listen to what He says? I want to encourage you to continue to listen to God through the storms of life. Don't lose faith in what He is trying to do in your life. I promise that He hasn't left you...the problem may be that we focus too much on the circumstances that we don't hear Him speaking.
Thoughts? Contact me at rlynx@lynxmultimedia.com
