Monday, August 15, 2016
I read the strange but interesting account that was shared by a fairly well known minister of God. There was a time that for several nights he was awakened by what sounded like a very faint chime or bell. He would climb out of bed every time he heard it but before he could find where the sound was coming from, it would stop. He finally found the source after many tries. It was an old watch he had tucked away in a drawer under some junk. He viewed the incident as a reminder from God that His love in our hearts can be like that. It sounds regularly but we seldom hear it because it is buried under our personal ambitions, cares and problems, daily routines, and our cluttered lifestyles. It is very much like the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches Jesus spoke about in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) that choke the Word of God, keeping it from reaching the heart.
We have to learn how to block the cares and worries of life that can keep the love of God from flowing freely in our hearts. Believe it or not, that love is in the heart of every child of God, although we sometimes forget it is there, much like the absence of the sun on gloomy rainy days. Romans 5:5 tells us that “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” That love compels us ! It is the driving force within us that gives our lives meaning and purpose. That is why Paul wrote: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”
How can we assure ourselves that we will hear God’s voice next time He calls us? The answer is really quite simple. When someone calls out to you and he or she is doing it from a distant room, you will probably not make out what they are saying, but the closer you draw to him or her the better you can hear and understand. And that leads us to:
God’s promise for today: (James 4:8) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
