There was a loud sound last night, did you hear it? Of course you heard it. The world is a small house and everyone living in a small house can hear a loud sound. Some heard it earlier in the night, some in the middle of the night and some didn’t hear it until this morning. Everyone heard that sound, but what did they see?
Today, there is mainly noise. The noise today is the world talking about the loud sound that came from our room in the house. The noise today is people trying to shape the conversation by casting words and opinion like scattering seed on the ground. What THEY heard, what THEY believe the sound was and what THEY think it means. What do YOU think?
“‘If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear. Consider carefully, what you hear,’ he continued. ‘With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.'” Mark 4:23-24. In other words, listen up folks. How well you pay attention will determine how much you gain from what you hear. So, before you let the words of every pundit, newscaster, friend on Facebook and tweet on Twitter sink in and dictate your head and heart, stop and listen. Listen to your God, not your gods.
So, what sound did YOU hear last night? There wasn’t a noise last night, it was the sound of something. Jesus taught HIS followers to focus on listening, hearing and seeing correctly. He spoke in parables to unbelievers because “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” Matthew 13:13.
Jesus taught that people’s hearts had become hard and calloused and that they could hardly hear or see. Are we seeing this in real time today? But, He spoke to His followers and called THEM blessed because they COULD see and hear. Believers need to take a moment to see and hear. I’m asking the question because I’m curious what believers heard and saw last night.
Seeing and hearing go hand in hand in the scriptures and in life. We heard a sound last night, what did we see? Paul had a dramatic experience with sight and sound on the road to Damascus. He saw a bright light and heard a voice. “The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” There can be a sound and a sight, yet not everyone understands what they saw or heard. Not everyone is listening for God’s voice. Are you?
For three days Paul was blind and could not understand what had happened. What he heard and saw changed his life forever, but it took a few days. We need to pay attention here. We heard and saw something last night and we want to understand what it was. We need to understand. We need a spirit of wisdom and revelation, but we better be careful where we look and listen for that wisdom.
One word that comes to the front of the conversation is change. Change is a word that has become politically and culturally popular. If the word “change” were part of a drinking game today, no one should be on the road. After the last 8 years we should also recognize the sound of change. Last night sounded like change to me.
I don’t understand everything about change, but I know it is one of the most prolific forces in this world. Change can divide and change can unite. And it makes a sound. Sound is basically a transfer of energy that causes vibrations and a chain reaction that produces sound. There was a transfer of energy and power last night….and it made a loud sound.
As believers, our direction regarding change should come from God. He is making all things new. He IS changing everything. My favorite place to focus when change becomes so apparent is Isaiah 43:18. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Huh? Anyone perceive a new thing today? Obviously, perception plays a role in hearing and understanding change. I perceive the former things are out the window today. The former ways of governing have been voted out as evidenced from Brexit to Trump. Governmental leadership is changing for sure, but there is more change coming. Will the loud sound you heard last night make you close your ears or open them?
Did the sound last night change anything IN you? Will the sound last night represent any change FOR you? I’m NOT talking about politics. Don’t blow this off and don’t ignore the sound you heard even if you are blind to what it means for 3 days or 3 months. If you are a Christ follower, now is the time to listen to the still small voice within you to answer these questions. Now is the time to ask God for ears to hear and eyes to see.
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Philippians 3:13. I encourage each of us to let the sound we heard last night awaken us spiritually. Be a part of the change God is making in this world, not necessarily the change in politics. Look ahead. Strain to look ahead and see what God has in store for you.
I heard that sound last night. I saw something, too. Change happened again last night. It was pretty loud. It woke me up. Did it you?