Using Words! Does God hear us?
Join me over the next ten weeks, as I do a deep dive of tying my childhood songs to my daily spiritual questions and needs. I am a true believer that everything written, sung, performed can glorify God, if we let it.
This week I ponder the question, “does God hear us”?
This week’s flashback song is “Words” by Missing Persons
Do you hear me
Do you care
Do you hear me
Do you care
My lips are moving and the sound’s coming out
The words are audible, but I have my doubts
That you realize what has been said
You look at me as if you’re in a daze
It’s like the feeling at the end of the page
When you realize you don’t know what you just read
What are words for when no one listens anymore
What are words for when no one listens
What are words for when no one listens it’s no use talkin’ at all
I might as well go up and talk to a wall
‘cause all the words are having no effect at all
It’s a funny thing, am I all alone
Something has to happen to change the direction
What little filters through is giving you the wrong impression
It’s a sorry state, I say to myself
What are words for when no one listens anymore
What are words for when no one listens
What are words for when no one listens it’s no use talkin’ at all
Do you hear me
Do you care
Do you hear me
Do you care
Let me get by
Over your dead body
Hope to see you soon
When will I know
Doors three feet wide with no locks open
Walking always backwards in the faces of strangers
Time could be my friend
But it’s less than nowhere now
Less than nowhere now
Less than nowhere now
Now
As you can see by the lyrics of this up-tempo (new wave/dance) song from the 80’s, this person is seeking communication from someone and the words she/he is receiving are confusing, misleading and lead to nothing. This song I can see from two different perspectives.
Perspective One: a sole seeking words from Jesus and not being able to hear a response. To be completely honest, I think this is most believers on most days. We ask and ask, talk and pray and often times we hear nothing.
I remember laying in bed one night, reading my bible looking for a word to calm my troubled mind. I was so weak and, in such discomfort, (during one of my chemo cycles), I just wanted a word to let me know it was all going to be good. I said (out loud) “God just give me a word.” I closed my eyes, flipped open the bible and pointed to a scripture. I opened my eyes and read “Give thanks to God”. That was my word from God, give thanks. I will admit I was a bit offended that in my pain, God was asking me to praise him. I let the word sit in my head and then I melted it down to my heart and I gave thanks to God.
Sometimes we ask God for things, and we expect to see or hear that exact thing from God. That is not how God works. He doesn’t and has never done things on our terms, everything is done by his will and for his glory.
Perspective Two: God also is waiting to hear from us. In the verse “I might as well go up and talk to a wall, ‘cause all the words are having no effect at all, It’s a funny thing, am I all alone, Something has to happen to change the direction, What little filters through is giving you the wrong impression,” I can see God sending us messages to all day, every day. They are in forms we may not recognize, songs, signs, license plates, a stranger walking by, he will use anything. But we, as humans are very thick in the head. We ignore things, we tunnel vison our lives to focus only on what we deem to be important (phones, computers, tv, etc.). And if we are only getting our “daily God word” from limited sources, or misleading sources, we may very well be getting a limited, bewildering impression of God.
If you listen to some preachers, you may believe you can go outside scream out loud (pray) that you need a new car and expect one to be in your garage. Yes, some spiritual leaders have twisted the word of God to be like some sort of “Santa Clause”. When those people go through something bad, they have nothing firm to hold on to. After all, Santa does not bring disease, he brings gifts and happiness. Therefore they will eventually spend a lot of time angry and confused because they did not get what they thought they were promised.
So, WHAT ARE WORDS FOR IF NO ONE LISTENS?
Truthfully, I seek daily the word of God. Sometimes my exterior distractions prevent me from receiving the true words. I have to read, read again, listen to it via audio word, write about it, research it – all of that just to get the true word of God.
God never said we will not suffer. He never said we would not go through trials. He knows we have questions and that is why he gave us his word and his promises. He promises us, in his words and through the sacrifice and resurrection of his son Jesus, that our troubles and pains will all end one day when we are reunited with him in Heaven. And for some of you that may need to hear this - he tells us don't be vengeful, do not hate, for true justice and vengeance belongs to the Lord. He will right the wrongs of this world - ONE DAY!
If you don’t listen to the word of God, you can’t expect to receive the blessings of God. The bible is not just an overwhelming large book of names you can’t pronounce and words that you need a dictionary to understand. The bible is God’s book of love and promise to us. Just so you understand how important God believes his word is and how he sees it as a key to our lives, think about the following:
1. The ten commandments were given to Moses 3 times. That’s right God so wanted us to know them he gave them to us 3 times. He orally gave them to Moses and Moses shared them with his people. Then Moses goes up to the holy mountain and God (THAT’S RIGHT GOD) cuts stone and carves out the commandments on stone tablets and gives them to Moses to set inside the Arc of the Covenant. Moses then drops and breaks them – and God at this point wants to basically wipe away mankind. Moses begs for forgiveness and God has him carve out the stone and etch in the commandments. So that is THREE times that God gives his words to his people. So, he obviously wanted them written down and studied.
2. God’s words are not for God; they are for us. God loves us so much that he willed man to write his words down for us to have for generations.
3. Jesus read and studied the scrolls (word of God) and emphasized how important the actual words of God were and are.
4. If you study the bible, you will come to understand that most of the 12 disciples of Jesus were “most likely” not very literate (or I’ll say they didn’t have much education to write). Most of the writers were scribes or assistants (Luke to Paul, Mark to Peter, etc.). Now, educationally speaking, Paul was a learned person, as he was studying to be a religious leader. Jesus used Paul’s “gifts” to spread his WORDS!!!! I am positive that if we had a complete history of those that were persecuting Jesus’ followers, we would find MANY – yet Jesus used the one that had the ability to read, write and TEACH!
To sum up, yes God can hear you. God wants you to hear him. Use your words to speak to him daily. Use your quiet time to hear him directly. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to talk with you.
Next week, I’ll tackle the question “Does he see me?”
This week’s links:
Song – “Words” by Missing Persons 1982
https://genius.com/Missing-persons-words-lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IasCZL072fQ
Understanding the words of God
Have a blessed week everyone,
April
