Listening is essential to our relationship to God. The Hebrew word for listen is SHEMA. In Hebrew culture, there is an expectation to respond to what one hears. It was a listen AND obey scenario. Listen AND act. In fact, in ancient Hebrew, there is no separate word for listen and obey- they were just two sides of the same coin.

In today’s passage in Isaiah, we see what happens not only when we listen, but also when we don’t listen. What’s the cost of not listening to God? Abiding peace and intimate relationship with Him. But God is a God of redeeming grace. He has hope for us and a better plan for us.

When we DO listen to God, we experience a new thing- joy and peace that lasts. How do we do that? Accepting Jesus as Lord of our lives is the first step. Next is a daily commitment to listen to God. James 1:22-25 encourages us to digest, understand, and obey the word of God. Jesus, our Good Shepherd trains us to listen to His voice. Henri Nouwen says that, “Jesus’ life was a life of obedience. He was always listening to the Father, always attentive to his voice, always alert for his directions. Jesus was ‘all ear.’ THAT is true prayer: being all ear for God. The core of all prayer is indeed listening, obediently standing in the presence of God.

How can we listen every day?

1. Pray for others
2. Study God’s word
3. Serve others

“Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends…” Henri Nouwen

“A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer listening.” Soren Kierkegaard

When we begin to listen, it becomes easier to hear that faint, small voice. God is always there. We always have a chance to listen to Him.

Let’s start with what the Kingdom of God is not. It is not any modern nation, not Republican or Democrat. It is not Christian Nationalism. We don’t build, bring, or extend the Kingdom of God. But instead:

• Jesus’ coming brought the Kingdom of God
• The Kingdom of God starts small and spreads everywhere
• The Kingdom of God is where God sets things right
• The Kingdom of God is here… but it is also coming
• The Kingdom of God is a gift

We enter, receive, and inherit the Kingdom of God.

We are not the heroes of the kingdom and we are not the King. We belong to the King and we enter the Kingdom of God when we are faithful and serving and embodying Jesus’ teaching. When we are following Jesus’ mission, purpose, and plan, we are in the Kingdom of God.

There Was Darkness: Jesus’ Death and Burial

Weekly Devotional 6.30.2025

“Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn?…In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” Amos 8:8-9

When Jesus was crucified, several cosmic events occurred that underscored the significance of that moment and helped those who witnessed it finally understand who Jesus was. The darkness across the land and the great earthquake not only symbolized God’s righteous anger but also displayed His divine judgment and wrath on sin. These events, along with references to David, the fulfillment of the suffering servant prophecies, the tearing of the temple veil, and the resurrection of the saints, all pointed to one thing: truly, Jesus was the Son of God. When we consider the significance of everything that just happened, as well as the events that would follow in three days and thereafter, one cannot help but make the same profession of faith that Jesus is Lord and seek to affirm, honor, and glorify the crucified Christ.