Lent

“While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

Blaise Pascal lived in the 1600’s and wrote, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  These words are so appropriate for today!  Except, we do sit still in rooms, not in quiet, but with a device speaking to us.  We are constantly bombarded with noise, news, and sound. 

 

God is not very likely to yell at us from a cloud, as he did Peter! He is more likely to come as he did to Elijah on that mountain, not in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire, but in a “still, small voice.”  Without sitting in the quiet, how can we hear God’s still, small voice?  How can we “listen to Him”?

 

Jesus modeled this way of listening for us.  He withdrew alone from the crowds and noise, to pray.  He listened and heard when God spoke in that still, small whisper.  We must emulate Jesus!  We need to withdraw, to be alone, to pray silently and to listen for that “still small whisper.” We need this daily.  But we won’t make it happen without disciplining ourselves as Jesus did.  Make a vow to withdraw, unplug, turn off electronics and find time to tune in to God.  Just listen!  He might be whispering right now…

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.