Lift Up Your Face.

Do ever find yourself easily discouraged? Do you ever wish you could draw nearer to God? In church this Sunday our Pastor preached on Jonah. He talked about hearing the voice of God. But how do you know when it's the voice of God? Do you ever doubt if God is speaking to you? Do you ever wonder "how do I hear the voice of God?"


The answer is so simple, it was staring me in the face. Do you know how God speaks to us? When you want to hear the Word of the Lord, when you need to hear the Word of the Lord, when your heart is crying out to hear the Word of the Lord, OPEN UP THE WORD OF THE LORD!


We hear his voice through His Word and as we read His Word it resonates in us. As we read His Word the Holy Spirit is actively working in us revealing God's truths to us. The Lord desires to speak to you.


With this sermon in mind I opened up my Bible on Monday and read James chapter one. Beautiful verse after beautiful verse filled with God's truth for me. 


James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."


Jonah's problem was not hearing the Word. Jonah's problem was obeying the Word. But God had something He wanted Jonah to do and one giant fish later Jonah was in Nineveh and because the people heard God's Word, His voice, they repented and were saved. Jonah 3:5 "The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth." Just like James 1 says that do what the Word says brings blessing when the Ninevites heard the Word and repented as they were told they were blessed. 


I heard Third Day's song "Lift Up Your Face" on the way to work this morning and it flooded me with God's reassurance. This may not seem entirely related, but this verse especially "You feel like your life is fading, You’re tired of waiting, for your moment to arrive, But tomorrow will bring a song that you can sing, And your hope is gonna rise, Love is coming and it’s calling out your name" were words I needed to hear this morning.





Sometimes it's so hard for us to step away from our social media, phones, tv shows, to do lists, friends, family and life's distractions to quiet ourselves before the Lord. The most important conversation of our day is the one we have with God. The most important thing we will do all day is to be with Him, to be in His Word, to bow down at His throne, to lift our voices in pray and praise, to lift up our face to God Almighty.


This sermon, Jonah, James and this song have all been ways this week that I have heard God's voice. Not because I've figured out the magic trick or secret, but because when we hear his Word we hear His voice. 


So be in the Word, obey the Word, lift up your face and hear His voice.


God's blessings on your week!
Naomi