June Watchword: "Keep your ear to the ground"

Over the past few weeks, I have had a recurring vision of a Native American kneeling down to the ground with his ear pressed to the soil.  From this low position, he can hear and feel the vibrations in the ground from a massive train that is quickly approaching, but is still out of sight or hearing for most.

As Christians, we usually expect the Lord to move in ways that are really easy for us to identify and understand. It is not wrong to seek or ask for clear evidence that the Lord is with us.  Jesus himself said that, "signs will follow those that believe." (Mark 16:17)  When the 120 waited on the Lord in the upper room, the Presence of God that came was unmistable and undeniable.  When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, a literal fire came from heaven that proved the Lord was with him.  This kind of manifestation of God's presence and power is not what we're currently walking in:  However, it's on the way and coming down the track.


The other mountain that Elijah climbed was called Mount Horeb.  (See 1 Kings 19)  On this mountain, the Lord was not in the fire, the earthquake, or the wind.  He simply spoke in a "still, small voice."  God's voice was so quiet that Elijah had to wrap his face in his mantle to hear it at all.  However, this is no less significant: Elijah was still hearing the voice of Almighty God.  

We are in a season where we know there's a lot of things coming down the track.  We expect an unprecedented outpouring of God's Spirit and multitudes coming to the Lord.  We also expect increasing shaking and turmoil to the economic, political, and environmental systems that man has corrupted.  

The Lord is calling us now to be like Elijah.  We need to wrap our faces in the mantle of the Lord and shut out all other distractions.  The answers we seek are not on television or the internet.  The answers are not at our favorite shopping center.  They answers may not even be at large meetings and crusades.  The answers are only found in the Lord himself, who is a shepherd that faithfully watches and guides his flock.  Jesus said, 

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27) 

This is a time for us to humbly return to the Lord and learn to hear his voice more closely.  Our goal is to "hear" Him so accurately and "follow" Him so closely that He will be able to acknowledge that He "knows" who we are.

Use this summer to draw closer to the Lord and prepare for what's coming down the track.  This "preparation" will be different for each one of us.  Some may be called to start a home group, pick up a paintbrush, or begin writing.  Others may simply be called to press in to wait on the Lord or intercede for others.  Some might be called to take some practical "prepping" steps that they've been procrastinating on.  The important thing is that each one of us learns to humble ourselves, shut out all distractions, and listen for the still small voice.  If you listen closely enough, you can even hear what is coming down the track.

Above: A movie still from "His Last Game," a short film from 1909.

Our goal is to hear Him so accurately and follow Him so closely that He will be able to acknowledge that He knows who we are.