Are You Listening To God?

Haggai 1: 1-15 Psalms 32:8,9

Life can get frustrating when the communication lines are broken down with our cells, our cable, and our computers. Life will get even more frustrating if your communication lines are down with God. Haggai had come to share a word with the people of God to get them back on track. God has several ways that He speaks to us each day. 

The 1st way God speaks is through our being faithful in our discipline of reading the word of God. It is critical to hearing His voice. God will never say anything to you that contradicts with the writing's of the word of God. The word of God is first and foremost to His communicating to us.

The second way God speaks is He uses his ministers, Haggai was a prophet that came on the scene, from Babylon himself, he was about 82 years old and began speaking to Israel. The people had gotten discouraged with the threats from the enemy. Fear had set up in their hearts, so they chose to back off from the building of the temple. The foundation of the temple had been laid, but a storm of fear struck their hearts from the threats of the enemy.

As you read the book of Haggai, he explains in more details in his writings. "You say it's not time to build, you have gone and built your own homes, your own business, but the Lord would say it's time to go to the mountains and cut down the timber to build the house of the Lord."

These were words from the mouth of Haggai, but were words being spoken to the people from God. Be careful that you don't ignore the preaching of the word of God to you as one of God's children. 
I have been preaching for 30 plus years, and I don't take it lightly that I am to bring a fresh word from the Lord to our people on a weekly basis.

"It's through the foolishness of preaching that people are saved."  Haggai's words were instructions for the people to turn their focus and their worship back to God. They had gotten so distracted with their own jobs, their own business and the prophet says, It's time to get back to what God has told you to do in building the temple.

Many times in our walk with God, we may have just laid the foundation of our faith in God, we may have just laid the foundation of our dream or our ministry. Satan comes along to discourage and to distract you from doing what God has called you to do. 16 years had passed with them being distracted.

The 3rd way God speaks is through prayer. As you wait on the Lord each morning. Think about a waiter or a waitress that comes to wait on you at your table. They come asking, "What is it that I can get for you today?" 

Go to the Lord waiting on Him each day. "Lord what is it that you desire from me today?" Isaiah 40:28 "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Each day the Lord will speak to your heart, he will impress in your spirit what He wants you and I to do with our lives. Haggai had been waiting in God's presence asking, "What is it you want?" Remember what God says to you will always line up with the word of God.

The 4th way to listen is to be responsive to God's word. The people of God got back on track because they were responsive to the word that came to their hearts. They heard the prophet as he spoke "now is the time" Friend  don't delay, but respond to His word to your heart, and life will bring peace and power, and strength for the journey in your life. God has only laid the foundation to what He has planned and mapped out for your life. Listen and respond to the word that He has prepared for you today.

Oceanwayag.com                                                                                              Danny Baggett