I was teaching an AWANA class for my church, and I had a mix class from 3rd to 6th grade. Huge gap if you ask me, but as they came in the room from game time finding their seats for bible time, you must know if you have worked with kids before that it is really hard to get them to settle down after a half hour of adrenaline pumped games. So in the gentleness and meekness of Christ I spoke loudly and said, "Settle down boys, settle down. Its time to hear from the Lord, its time to hear what Jesus wants to speak to us tonight." And as those words left my lips, slowly the boys attention was diverted to me. Calmly and simply I whispered enough for them to hear, "Lets Pray."
I couldn't help but notice and think back when Jesus Christ held His audiences in captivation by every word that left His mouth from 1 man (Nicodemus) to the feeding of the 5,000. Even before Christ set foot here on earth, the word of His mouth struck reverence in His people; Deuteronomy 4:11-12 says,
"You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud and thick gloom. Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form- only a voice".
His word held a king in anticipation for His answer, King David said in Psalm 5:3,
"In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Peter knew no other way and confessed with his lips the power of His words in John 6:68 saying,
"Lord to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life."
Yet story after story, parable after parable, application after application we forget that Christ is The Word of Life! We have heard partially and not fully, we have taken what we wanted to hear, and tried to run on that. We left the house to go run the marathon, but left our shoes on the porch. We only took the icing on the cake because that is what seemed best at the moment according to self. O to be careful how we listen, to know that it is not the words that are popping off the pages when we read, but it is Christ Himself. And when we see that Christ is the One popping off the pages, His words will be inscribed on the tablet of our hearts written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God.
When Jesus speaks He doesn't ask me to listen, He tells me to listen as a parent would His child. He comes to me in gentleness and meekness and from agape He speaks. The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. (Psalm 12:6) His words are as jewels that sparkle in the light of the sun. Let me say it again, Gods words are as jewels that sparkle in the light of the Son. When Jesus spoke it was God speaking, and if it is God that is speaking through the image of the invisible God Jesus Christ; if His words are as silver tried seven times then i must heed and pay great attention to every detail of His words, because from His mouth flow words of life. I need to take care in the way I listen because I am receiving precious jewels as I open my heart to take in all that is said.
I started off with a story of my kids at AWANA. And ill tell you one of the greatest words any Christian can say in just a moment...
So we ended off our bible study in the same way we started in prayer. It was a great night, because we spent it with Jesus, it was a fruitful time because we took time to listen and give Him our ears and our attention that He desires.
and I said to the boys, "...and all Gods people says, AMEN!!!"
Dearest Christian, it is there at the end of every prayer that we confess with our lips to God, that we have heard, that we have taken to heart, and that we agree.
Nehemiah 8:6, "Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen!' While lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."
