Good morning. Today we are finishing our series Communicating With God. In this series we have looked at: Talking To God, Listening To God’s Voice, and today we are going to finish this series by taking a look at Being Receptive To God’s Voice.
In the book of Habakkuk, he prays a series of 3 prayers wanting to receive a word from the Lord. In chapter 1 he prays a prayer and God answers. Then Habakkuk prays a 2nd time. And in chapter 2 we see what Habakkuk does after he prays. From this passage of scripture, I think that we can learn 5 important aspects of how to be receptive to God’s voice. Go ahead and turn with me to Habakkuk 2:1-2.
As you are turning there, I will open us with a word of prayer. Let’s Pray!
Follow along as I read. Habakkuk 2:1-2 says, “1”
Now, The First Thing We Must Do Is Stand At The Guard Post.
The NIV says, “stand at my watch…” But it is talking about being at a guard post. The idea behind this is that you must be looking in order to receive. So we learn that we are to be observant. You will not receive if you don’t see. Notice it does not say “SIT” at the guard post. It says to “STAND!” Sitting doesn’t take as much effort as standing does. A couple of weeks ago, in our study, we used this passage of scripture. Luke 11:9 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Ask, seek, and knock, they all take effort. Well so does standing. Also notice what Habakkuk says, “I WILL stand!” He has expressed his intent. His will is involved. His decision is activated. He was determined to actively listen to what God had to say. There are times it takes effort to hear God’s voice. There are times it takes effort to receive God’s voice. There are times you have to work to have a daily quiet time with God.
I recently read a story about Susanna Wesley who was the mother of 18 children. 2 of her sons, Charles and John, changed the expression of Christianity during their lives. Charles Wesley wrote hundreds of hymns which churches still sing today. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist denomination. Both men had a profound affect on Christianity during their lives, which can still be felt today.
With 18 children, how did Susanna Wesley ever find a quiet time to pray? This was her solution. Every afternoon she would sit in her living room and throw her apron up over her head. The children knew that when mother was in her rocking chair with her apron up over her head she was not to be disturbed. She was determined to have a quiet time. She was determined to have a time with God every day. Where there’s a will there’s a way. She stood at her guard post.
Secondly, Station Yourself At The Lookout Tower.
Again, the NIV says, “and station myself on the ramparts…”
What that means is to again be on the lookout. To be high in a tower looking out. Now, to “STATION” yourself speaks of perseverance. It talks of sticking it out. It talks of waiting till the answer is given. It is the idea of looking and looking and keep on looking until an answer is given. Let’s look again at the verse from Luke that we just read. This time we will look at it in a different translation. Another translation says, “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”(HCSB)
I like the way the Holman Christian translation uses the word “Keep!” “Keep” on asking, “Keep” on searching, “Keep” on knocking and the door will be opened to you. In our fast pace, busy world, perseverance and waiting are not spoken of much. But you find them mentioned again and again in the Bible. Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
You see, the reason many of us don’t hear God is because we are too busy. It’s hard for us to station ourselves and get quiet. Hurry is the death of prayer. If you want to hear God you have to become quiet. Not only do you need a quiet spot to pray you need a quiet mentality. It can’t be done in a hurry.
Many of us may find a quiet place to pray but we don’t slow our minds down. We may be resting but our minds are still racing. Our thoughts flip from one subject to the next. You think of all the unfinished tasks you have. You think of all the things you could be doing. Focus is the key to a healthy prayer life.
Focus on who you are talking to. Focus on who you are listening to. If you need to, set up a chair and visualize Jesus sitting there in front of you. Talk to Him and listen to what He has to say. Be still, focus, and know that He is God.
Now, as we discuss our next 3 principles, it is going to involve a few questions that I want you to answer. Now I know this goes against what we usually do on Sunday mornings, but I want you to discuss with me, so that we can all learn from some of your input. So here we go!
The Third Thing That We Learn From This Passage, Is That We Need To Watch To See What He Will Say.
It’s interesting that in Habakkuk chapter 2:1 it doesn’t say, “I’ll listen and hear.” It says, “I will look to see…” Usually when we talk about communication we talk about listening and hearing. But this verse talks about watching and seeing. Why is that?
Well, I believe that it is because sometimes seeing is understanding. How many of you have heard this statement: “A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words?” I don’t know about you, but it works for me. Here is an example: I could tell you how big a Bald Eagle’s wing span is. Or, I could show you a picture, and then you would truly understand what I was saying.
You see, God has made us people who can hear, but He also wants us to see. Look at what Ephesians 1:18 says. Ephesians 1:18 says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…”
God wants our ears opened. But He also wants our eyes to watch and see.
The Fourth Thing That We Learn Today Is That We Need To Write Down The Vision.
The next step is to record the insights that you receive. Why does Habakkuk do that?
Well, he writes it down so that he can have a record of what took place and of what God said. If Habakkuk had not done that, we would not have the book of Habakkuk today. Guess what? As humans, we have a tendency to forget things, even the most important of things. But the best way to remember is to write it down, because the shortest pencil is longer than most people’s memory.
When a musician composes a new song, they write down their lyrics so that they don’t forget them. When a person is going someplace new, they get directions from someone, and they write them down so that they don’t get lost. The same is true of prayer. We should write some things down so that we don’t forget them, and so that we don’t get lost on the journey through this life.
And Finally This Morning, We Need To Clarify What We Have Heard.
Make it clear. God instructed Habakkuk to write it down, but notice he is instructed to clearly write it down. I think that this deals with more then just penmanship. I think that God wants us to clearly proclaim His word. Jesus took complex truths and He made them simple.
I think that sometimes we have a tendency to take simple things and make them more complicated than what they have to be. For example, how many of you would want to hear a sermon on God’s Providential Provision For Your Person. Do any of you know what I’m talking about?
Probably not, so let me say that in another way, God Has A Plan To Take Care Of You. That is the same topic expressed more clearly. Jesus said it this way: “See the birds of the air. They don’t spin nor reap. Yet the Father above takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more then the birds?”
Again Jesus is expressing the same timeless truth in a very clear fashion. Someone told me, “If you can’t explain it in terms that a child will understand it, you probably don’t understand it yourself.” You know what, that is true. The reason most of what I say is so easy to understand is that if it was any more complicated, I wouldn’t be able to understand it.
The word clarify means to make clear. It is to come to understand. Once we understand we can apply and when we apply God’s Word we become Doers of God’ Word like it says in James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Now, as we close today, hopefully we have all gained a little something from this Old Testament passage that we can apply to our lives when it come to being receptive to God’s voice. Now realize this, when God does speak to us, we also have to be receptive to the answers that He gives to us. Prayer is not a wish list that we automatically get. God will tell us “No!” to some of the things that we ask for. And sometimes, He will give us an answer that we were not looking for, but it will be what is best for His will. It is in those times that we need to be open and obedient to what He says.
But for today, we learned that we need to be receptive to God’s voice. Once again, Habakkuk 2:1-2 says, “1”
And from that this morning, we learn that there are 5 practical ways to be receptive to God’s Voice.
1. Stand at the guard post.
2. Station yourself at the lookout tower.
3. Watch to see what God will say.
4. Write down what you hear.
5. Clarify what you have heard.
It is my prayer that over the past few weeks as we have looked at Communicating With God, that we have all grown a little stronger in our prayer lives. At this time, I am going to close us in a word of prayer, and then we will have our invitation time. Let’s Pray! |
