Failing to listen to God as we journey through life takes us on unexpected detours and difficult trials we could have avoided. The Lord had repeatedly called one of my friends to go into full-time ministry. Over the years, the Lord, in His patience, pursued this young man who instead ran away from his destiny.
One day his wife asked him, “What will it take for you to obey God?” A couple of days later, while working as a mechanic, a large truck fell off a jack and fell on him. Through one miracle after another, the Lord preserved his life, and when he was well, he left his mechanic occupation and went into full-time ministry. He has touched thousands of people have by the Lord’s ministry through him. As he reflects on his past, he urges people to listen to God and obey Him when He calls them.
The Israelites Did Not Listen to the Lord
The Lord, in His mercy, heard the cry of the Israelites who were slaves in Egypt. In His perfect timing, the Lord used Moses to confront the Pharoah to let the Israelites go. The Lord would bring judgment upon Egypt by sending ten plagues upon them. After the Pharoah relented and let the Israelites go, He changed his mind and pursued them.
The Pharoah’s army trapped the Israelites against the Red Sea, but God opened the Red sea for them to cross on dry ground. When Pharoah’s army pursued them through the Red Sea, the Lord let the water pour back and destroyed his army. The Lord demonstrated that He was trustworthy and would be with them through all these miraculous events.
After all the Israelites had seen, they lacked the faith to listen to God and go into the promised land. Numbers 14:22 They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again, they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it.[1] Because they did not listen to the Lord, the Israelites would wander in the desert for forty years. The Lord would take care of them, but they had missed an opportunity to advance in faith.
Listening and Obeying God’s Voice
When we follow the voice of the Lord, we learn that He knows the way ahead of us much better than we do. Romans 8:14For all who the Spirit of God leads are children of God.[2] God has a great plan to unfold in each person’s life, but we must trust Him more than ourselves to fulfill all He has for us.
As we quiet ourselves and pray the Lord would open our hearts to hear His voice, He begins to guide us as only He can. Think of what the Lord has ahead of you. Only He knows the right path to follow that will lead you to fulfill your destiny.
To learn more about failing to listen to God, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-wandering
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Nu 14:22–23). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ro 8:14). Tyndale House Publishers.