Listening

I was really caught by something Aaron said a few weeks ago while preaching on prayer. He asked us how much time we spend talking to God and how much time we spend listening. I've thought about that a lot since then. Do I listen to God enough? Do I listen enough to know and understand His voice? James 1:19 tells us that we should be quick to listen and slow to speak.

I watched a documentary one time on penguins. These particular penguins find a mate and mate for life. Every year they go back to the same area to find their mates. Literally thousands of penguins come to this area at the same time. The only way their mate is able to find them is to listen for their voice. They listen...as all the penguins cry out and in the midst of all the chaos, they listen for the sound of the voice of their mate. They move toward the voice they recognize and are once again reunited.

In John 10:27 Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me." Do you know God's voice? Do you listen long enough to recognize and distinguish His voice from all the other voices that are shouting? Just like the penguins, we live in a world where so many voices are shouting for our time, our relationships, our money, our priorities, and the list goes on. In the midst of the chaos, do you hear His voice?