MARGIES BIMS

ARE WE LISTENING? PSALM 119:41-48*******

A FASCINATING FILM MADE IN 1959, "THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR", TELLS A STORY OF A FAMILY WITH A TYPICAL AMOUNT OF TRIALS AND TENSIONS. THEN, ONE NIGHT, THE VOICE OF GOD SPEAKS ON THE RADIO. BUT NOT JUST THEIR RADIO-GOD'S VOICE IS HEARD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ON EVERY RADIO, SAYING THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME.

AT FIRST PEOPLE REACT WITH DISBELIEF, THEN FEAR. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF HEARING "THE VOICE," HOWEVER, PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES, ACTIONS, AND PRIORITIES BEGIN TO CHANGE. THE IMPACT OF WHAT GOD IS SAYING DIRECTLY AFFECTS HOW THEY LIVE THEIR LIVES.

I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, "IF ONLY GOD WOULD TALK TO ME! IF HE WOULD JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO, I WOULD DO IT." THE SIMPLE FACT IS THAT GOD HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO US THROUGH HIS WORD, THE BIBLE. DO WE LISTEN TO HIM AS HE SPEAKS?

THE PSALMIST DESIRED TO OBEY GOD'S WORD "CONTINUALLY, FOREVER AND EVER". AND JAMES WARNED ABOUT IGNORING IT WHEN HE SAID, "BE DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT HEARERS ONLY, DECEIVING YOUR-SELVES" (JAMES 1:22).

PSALM 119 IS AN EXPRESSION OF PRAISE AND CELEBRATION FOR THE WORD OF GOD. IN EACH STANZA, THE PSALMIST EITHER CALLS US TO SEE STRONG REASONS FOR HIGHLY VALUING GOD'S WORD, TO HAVE STRONG RESPONSES TO THE TRUTHS CONTAINED IN THE SCRIPTURES, OR BOTH.

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND IF GOD BEGAN TO SPEAK TO YOU ON YOUR RADIO? WE CAN BE THANKFUL THAT GOD DOES SPEAK TO US-NOT ON THE RADIO, BUT IN THE SCRIPTURES. MAY WE BE WISE ENOUGH TO LISTEN AND OBEY.

INSTILL WITHIN MY HEART, DEAR LORD,
A DEEP DESIRE TO KNOW YOUR WORD;
I WANT TO LEARN TO HEAR YOUR VOICE
SO THAT YOUR WILL BECOMES MY CHOICE.

IN GOD'S WORKS WE SEE HIS HAND; IN HIS WORD WE HEAR HIS HEART. LET'S LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD THROUGH OUR BIBLE. I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

HAVE A HAPPY, BLESSED DAY**************
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