Listen & Look Up
Set your eyes on Jesus and believe that He will care for you, calm the storm, and cultivate fruit in your life. There is a cost to following Jesus but you will find the life you gain far exceeds what you give up if you allow the Word in.
“Go throughout the tribes…so that I may know how many there are.” But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over…But why does my Lord the king want to do such a thing?” The king’s word, however, overruled Joab…David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done…I have done a very foolish thing…This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one…Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land?…David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands…build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah…Why has my Lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered…Araunah said to David, “Let my Lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up…the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
2 Samuel 24:2-25
David did a very foolish thing and it is something that we all have a tendency to do. He took inventory of all that he had. Why was that sinful you might wonder? It was sinful because it revealed a heart that trusted in created things over the Creator. He was finding strength in his stuff more than his Savior. David’s eyes had drifted from God and God was not pleased.
Even though he repented, David still experienced the consequences of his sin. This is our reality as well. We can be in right standing with God because of the blood of Christ, but still experience the pain of our poor choices. When we lie, gossip, are prideful or are selfish; it hurts our relationships. When we choose to worry or be in a hurry, we miss out on what God wants to do through us. Where have you recently gone astray like David?
We can learn a lot from how David walked through a time where he had been disobedient. He humbled himself, chose to trust in God's correction then built an altar so he could draw closer to God. The enemy wants to separate you. God wants you to learn to draw closer even when we have been disobedient and develop a belief that He makes all things work for good even our disobedience.
David chose to draw closer. David made a defining statement. He declared I will not give God an offering that cost me nothing. Is that your heart? Would you prefer to receive grace but at not cost to personal change? Or would you rather respond to God‘s grace by offering God your best and most costly gifts? Is God getting your leftovers or your first fruits? What do your offerings say about your allegiance? What do they say about your heart?
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil…do not let me eat their delicacies. Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.” Psalms 141:2-8
Do you see how David’s heart is to please God? Regardless of whether he has been righteous or a rebel, his heart is to pray and praise the Father. He knew that he could not possibly give God anything that God does not already have other than a grateful heart. This is the greatest gift we can give back to God. Our hearts, our devotion, our praise. Have you given God your heart fully? Or are you divided?
David did wise thing. He invited correction. How many of us like correction? Don’t we hate to be told where we are wrong? David embraced instruction because he knew that it would help him draw closer to God and free him from folly. David did not say that he was just going to listen to any opinions about where he was off track. He was selective and searched for those who were right with God. Do you have truth tellers in your life? Do you have people who can regularly help you see your blind spots? We all have blind spots and need wise counsel.
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. Do not protest a temple messenger…Whoever loves money never has enough; As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners…Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor…Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy…this is a gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-19
Are you someone that likes to talk a lot? When you pray do you do most of the talking or do you draw near to listen? Solomon said draw to listen and let your words be few. What would happen if we approached each day with a heart of humility and repentance? How much better off would we be if we spent more time listening to God than telling Him how we think He should fix everything?
The call today is a call to humble yourself and hear from God and others both what you are doing that is right and what you are doing that is wrong. Solomon said do not let your mouth lead you into sin. Similarly, we would be wise to remember that we have two ears in one mouth. We should listen twice as often as we speak. Is this your ratio?
The wealthiest man who ever lived offered us a warning about money. He said if you love money, you will always want more and never be satisfied. He said as goods increase, so do those who consume them. Isn’t this true? Do we not live in a culture of more more more? How many old TVs have you thrown out? How quickly does technology become obsolete and we must have the next new toy?
Jesus came to teach us to think and live differently. Just like Solomon He cares about our hearts and wants us to learn to see everything as a gift the God who provides for all we need. God got angry with David for counting his army and He similarly tests us as to whether we are trusting in our own strength. Solomon said the litmus tests for seeing if your heart is in alignment with God is whether you have rest and can live with appreciation for what you have, not what you do not have.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim…her sin has been paid for, A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed…All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers…The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs…and carries them close to his heart; Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord…With whom, then, will you compare God? To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:2-31
Isaiah called out to the people and invited them to turn to God. Truth tells us that God is present and powerful. Truth tells us that God has a plan. He moves mountains and makes them flat. He raises up valleys and gives victory. Truth asks us who is like God? Truth tells us He is eternal and his word lasts forever.
Perhaps we should listen. Perhaps today is a day to take our eyes off our circumstances or all the things that have been running through our minds and focus on God. Truth tells us that those who hope the Lord will soar like eagles and not grow weary. Hope is so important because it keeps us moving forward and God wants our only hope to be in Him. He will never fail nor forsake you.
Often we hope in things of the world that fall apart or fade. God wants to lift our eyes so that we might listen to Him and let Him lead us to kingdom living. We could not make a way on our own so He prepared the way. He paid the price and He personally shepherds us. God knows that it is our gaze, our focus, where we fix our eyes that influences our perspective. God wants to draw you close to him and help you see that the Creator loves His creation. He wants you to stop worrying about your daily needs and see what you need most is intimacy with Him.
“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake…Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:1-41
The very first word Jesus said in this passage is listen. Solomon said the same thing. Draw close to God to listen. The Word of God has power. It has the power to change your life and to produce a great crop. But what good is the word if we do not hear? Recognize we have barriers to hearing. It is hard to hear God's speak when you are endlessly scrolling. Can you hear the still small voice if there are always sounds all around you? Today could be a day to declare a holy fast. Take a day off your phone or whatever you do most that distracts you. Like David did, examine your heart, consider your ears. Do you have ears to listen and a heart to obey? Who are you in the parable of the sower? Are you impacted by worries, wealth, or the world? Or are you humble and ready to let the word take root?
Even after explaining to his disciples, the truth of the parable, they still don’t understand who Jesus is. A massive storm comes, and immediately they are terrified. They are walking examples of hearts that allow Satan to steal from them as they become afraid. Fear does that. Fear knocks us off course. Fear causes us to sin. One of the most beautiful aspects of scripture is that the people closest to God were not perfect, but always learning from their sin. They were like us. God knows you are not going to be perfect and will be like the disciples who allowed fear to shake their faith. The question is not if fear will come, but how you deal with it.
The message of the wind and the waves is that God governs and has the authority to rule over all the heavens and the earth. Should we worry about waves when we have the wave whisperer in our boat? Today’s passages are very challenging and course correcting. No one should read these passages and walk away without reflection. Rather when we recognize where we fall short, we would do well to be like David and build an altar committing our hearts to Jesus knowing that our offerings to God are more honoring when they are costly.
It will cost you everything to follow Jesus. It will cost you your comfort. It will require you to change. But if you give Jesus your heart, He will produce 30, 60, 100 times beyond what you could ask or imagine. He is the one who will produce great fruit as you place your hopes in Him. He will set you free from a life where of craving more and full of heavy cares. You will soar like an eagle and not grow weary as you hear God’s voice realizing that you are held in the hands of the One who made the heavens and the earth. Neither storms nor Satan can touch you. You are His and Jesus is yours. You are safe and seen. So change your focus and humble your heart. Draw near to listen and let His power work in and through you as fix your gaze on Him.