Listening

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

LISTENING

Acts 16:6-10

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

NIV

Today the life lesson for us is all about hearing and listening to the voice of the Spirit as to where we should be in service to our Lord. We see here there were places they just could not travel to and there was a place they simple had to be. The Spirit prevented them from going to certain cities in order for him to direct them to the specific place they should be at that time. All too often we could hear the voice of the Spirit and not listen to him. Hearing and listening are completely different. Hearing simply implies we hear the Spirit, but listening carries that implication of understanding and obeying the direction of the Spirit. If we are not listening to his voice than it only leaves us to living on our own, doing and being what and where we want to be and that simply may be the greatest mistake of our lives. We learn here that we must be aware of where the Spirit desires us not to be and where he desires us to be in order that we could be the best service to the Kingdom of God. It seems some of us are happy that God calls our people in the ministry to certain places, but we do not think he calls us to certain places. Yet that is not the case as he calls us all to his service and all to the ministry of his word and thus he directs our footsteps as to where we should be. As we see here we are not free to travel about the country as we see fit, but we must hear from the Spirit, listen to his voice and obey his directions. He will lead us. God has led his people throughout all of time, he is not about to stop now. The question is, are we headstrong, stiff-necked people determined to press on our own path? Or are we willing to listen to the Spirit, not going where he does not want us to, and going exactly as he instructs us to. Are we listening?