2/9/06
Encouragement for Today
“Conversation Hearts”
Susanne Scheppmann, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member, Co-editor of Online Devotions
Key Verse:
Isaiah 28:23, “Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.” (NIV)
Devotion:
Conversation Hearts Candies top my list of favorite things during the month of February. I remember all the way through elementary and high school attempting to converse with my friends through passing the tiny sugary messages underneath our desks. Short, sweet, fun. But you must pay attention to the words or you might miss the implication of the sender.
For example, a friend of mine woke up one Valentine’s Day to a trail of Conversation Hearts left by her husband. A couple placed near the coffee pot. One or two left by the bathroom sink. A few cute sayings greeted her as she sat in her favorite chair.
Later that evening her husband asked, “Well, what do you have to say to my message of love I left for you this morning?”
My dear friend realized she had missed something important. She responded, “I didn’t read them, I just ate them as I found them.” Oops!
I think God must feel we miss many words sent from His heart. We rush from one task to the next. We attempt to squeeze in a few moments of devotional time. We read our Bible and pray a quick list of our needs. We check “Quiet Time” off our to do list and head out for an hour-long conversation with our girlfriend over a mocha latte.
But what if today, we decided to discover little conversations placed strategically by God throughout our day. Maybe while reading our Bible, a phrase might jump out at us. Or perhaps, as we pray, a thought will pop into our minds from the Holy Spirit. Possibly a meaningful daily devotional could speak God’s heart to us. Conceivably, we could discover God’s conversation to read something like the following:
My bride (Songs of Songs 4:8, NIV)
Now listen (Isaiah 44:1, NIV)
Be still (Psalm 46:10, NIV)
Hear me (Luke 6:27, NIV)
I AM (Exodus 3:14, NIV)
Everlasting Love (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV)
My Love (John 15:9, NIV)
Endures Forever (Psalm 117:2, NIV)
Today let’s listen for God’s message of love to us. Also, let’s remember that His Voice might come to us in a whisper. That’s how the old Prophet Elijah heard the voice of God.
The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave… (1 Kings 19:11-13, NIV)
So as you meander throughout the day, keep your eyes and heart open for a sweet and delightful message from the Lord, a love declaration given for your heart only.
My Prayer for Today:
Lord, help me to hear You today. Remind me to slow down my hectic pace of life so that I don’t miss any love message from You. Keep my heart attuned to Your Holy Spirit as You whisper words of love to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Buy some Conversation Heart Candies. Tonight before you go to bed reflect on the message you discovered from God today. Then, try to write a meaningful reply from your heart to God by placing the tiny candies on a plate. Have fun with this and let your imagination flow freely. Then write your message on a piece of paper and place it your Bible as reminder to watch for whispers from the Lord.
Reflection Points:
Do I believe that God will speak to me?
How has He spoken to me in the past?
What keeps me from hearing His message?
How can I become a better listener for God’s messages?
Power Verses:
Revelation13:9, “He who has an ear, let him hear.” (NIV)
Song of Songs 8:13, “You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice!” (NIV)
John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (NIV)
Luke 8:18, “Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” (NIV)
Micah 7:7, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (NIV)
Additional Resources:
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart, by Lysa TerKeurst
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_whoHoldsKey.htm
Becoming a Woman Who Listens to God, by Sharon Jaynes
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_becomingAWoman.htm
Intimate Moments with God, by Select Authors
http://proverbs31.gospelcom.net/newresources_intimateMoments.htm
Originally published Thursday, 09 February 2006.
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