Say that again?

"Are you listening to me?" Of course not, Match of the Day 2 is on, my team are playing and I don't know how the match finished yet.  My eyes are fixed on the screen, John Motson is the only voice I hear, I am at one with the crowd, they sway, I sway, they cheer, I cheer, they groan, I groan.  Immersed as I am in the enfolding drama I still can hear something in the background, a voice, someone's talking (why are they talking?).  Eventually highlights of another dismal defeat for my beloved Everton come to an end.  



I turn to my wife and say "Of course I'm listening dear".  

"So you'll do it then?",

"em...what was it you said again?"

Let's be honest there are all times when we just don't listen, men AND women are guilty of that.  It's the same when God wants to communicate with us, we just don't listen.  I often struggle to hear God but it's not His fault. I'm too busy or I'm allowing myself to get distracted because I don't like what he has to say.  If we don't communicate with our partners our relationships suffer, it's the same for a relationship with God.

So how do we tune in?  In what ways does God communicate with us?  He uses words.  Words on the pages of the Bible, words from the mouths of other Christian people, words from pulpits....   He also uses your own conscience, that nagging feeling in your head that tells you things aren't right and he uses circumstances too.  God talks but do we want to hear?

I wonder if He has been speaking to you lately, how have you responded?  Have you found convenient distractions to avoid hearing or have you taken the time to listen and find out what He's been saying to you?

Start with the Bible,  God has revealed Himself to you through it. It's big and long so it'd be a good idea to ask for help in looking at it but there is one central theme, one big message that you should not miss.

'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life'

 Don't ignore God, what He has to say is worth listening to.