Can You Hear Him Now?

What a nice day it has been Father! Time in worship, followed by time with Karen! Then time at home. Thank You for Your presence in it all!

John 1:29-34 (<<click here to read the passage)

Almost 20 years ago a popular mobile phone carrier began an advertising campaign using the slogan, “Can you hear me now?” We’ve come a long way since those days but when this campaign began individual employees of the carrier would literally drive more than 100,000 miles a year to test the reliability of their network.

Back then “Can you hear me now?” was a common question when using a cell phone since much of the country just didn’t have good cell reception at the time. It has vastly improved but there are still a lot of “dead” spots depending on where you are.

Cell phone receptivity is contingent upon the signal from towers being clearly received. You can have the most up-to-date cell phone, but if a signal can’t get to your phone…you’re out of luck.

In a way, we are like cell phones. The entity trying to reach us with His signal is God. Except for this time His signal is not the issue. It is clear as a bell. He can literally reach any corner of the globe.

Psalm 139:7-12 shows this to be true.

I can never escape from your Spirit!
….I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
….if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
….if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
….and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
….and the light around me to become night—
….but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
….Darkness and light are the same to you.

We cannot escape from the Spirit of God. But something we can do is to ignore Him. Even those who do not know Him can be reached and spoken to. Yet they too can turn a deaf ear to Him.

As I read through verse 33, it is clear that John heard God and responded to His directive. He said, “…God sent me…he told me”.

You may struggle as I do, but when God speaks…and He unquestionably does…His signal is strong, coming through loud and clear…but when He speaks, are we listening? Have we trained ourselves to ignore His voice? Do we now turn a dear ear to His calling?

If we respond to Him that way, we are not stuck in that mode. He can change us! It will take work on our part, but we can once again train ourselves to listen…to hear.

When many of us were younger, especially in the summer, we would play until way after the sunset. (In middle school, the kids in my neighborhood played flashlight tag – it was a blast! I loved being “it”!) But when it was time to wrap things up, a voice would shout into the darkness, “It’s time to come in!” and I knew it was my mom. I knew that voice. I loved that voice. I was attuned to that voice…and I obeyed.

We must do the same with God, and the only way to know His voice, the only way to love His voice, the only way to be attuned to His voice…is to spend time with Him. He wants that more than anything else…us spending time with Him. Oh, the places He will take you!

John listened – and so can you. It’s your call. Can you hear Him now?

Mar 7^th, 2021, Sun, 6:44 pm