“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
It was over twenty-five years ago, but when my Bible study asks, “have you ever been in a crowd where people were speaking an unfamiliar language?” the memory flooded back. Living in one of the country’s most diverse regions, this question can be answered with a firm “yes” just by going to the local Walmart or grocery store. But that is not where my mind went. My first overseas duty station as an Army wife was in Schweinfurt, Germany. It has since become my favorite and most memorable duty station. We lived in the quaint little village of Dittelbraun, outside the city and not on the Army post. I was suddenly thousands of miles away from home, with an almost toddler, my husband was deployed to Bosnia, and I was living among people I could not understand. The memory is still so vivid; as I stood in my tiny kitchen, I heard English being spoken outside my window. The familiar language broke through the traffic noise and everything else happening, and I was laser-focused on finding the voice as I rushed outside. To my delight, I met Maya, a German-born, naturalized American school teacher, learned she was my neighbor and is my dear friend to this day.
God’s voice can break through this world’s walls, and noise to everyone poised to hear Him, just like Maya’s voice did on that unforgettable day. Are we listening? Are we yearning to hear His voice? Are we laser-focused on hearing what He has to speak into our lives? Do we drop everything to rush to Him? We are in the season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter; millions of Christians worldwide observe this season in hundreds of different ways. The Lenten season is a time to reflect on Jesus, repentance, and spiritual development. Many Christians give up something at Lent or make a dedication to fast. No matter the method, the purpose is to grow closer to God. But what if we purposed to simply listen to grow closer? “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55: 2-3, italics added). God is pleading for us to listen to Him. His Word, “the richest of fare” will give us everything we need to recognize His voice. But we must first be willing to listen. What will be gained if we give up chocolate for Lent but do not read His word, seek His face in prayer, and listen and obey His guidance? Let’s pray that His voice becomes so familiar that it slices through all the noise of life and that we have a burning desire to hear Him, not only during this season of Lent but always. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is of a plaque in the garden surrounding Jesus’s tomb in Jerusalem.