Ready to Listen
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Compared to the rest of the world we are and have been blessed above all nations in recent years. You almost feel ashamed to complain even in the face of recent worldwide events. Still, at times it almost seems that we’re submerged in a pool of water with some unseen hand pushing down. All the while us feeble believers are trying to cling to an even stronger hand.
The grayish gloomy cloud over us has come to be such a part of our daily life that we don’t really think about it unless we’re reminded of it. But, we feel it to our core. The bad taste sits on the back of our tongues as stomachs sometimes rumble and roar. Mornings come sometimes with nasty acidic residue in our throats. All the while as believers we feel as if we’re not being strong enough as we silently worry about the effects of the current crisis on the lives of family and friends.
Flipping through the handful of channels I’ve come to rely on as I seek encouragement and relief from the daily wear and tear of life, I stumbled across a gospel singing show on RFD TV. Something strange began to happen as I listened to one classic gospel tune after another sung by the likes of the Statler Brothers and the Oakridge Boys, among others. A lightness began to enter my soul as the weight seemed to temporarily lift from my shoulders.
Imagine sitting in a drugstore ignoring medicines that could help ease your pain and banish the headache. I’ve mentioned the absurdity before of a person falling into a huge vat of Hershey’s chocolate and starving to death. As believers we live our lives in the midst of help on every hand. Other believers stand ready to lift us up if we follow scriptural admonition to forsake not the gathering together of believers. It reminds us of the Bible’s instruction that a cord of two or three is stronger than one and not easily broken.
We often let the Bible collect dust on the table or lie quietly in the back seat for the week after Sunday’s service. Not much strengthening knowledge to be gained there.
We pack our days and nights with activity leaving little quality time to talk to Him without falling asleep during our heavenly conversations. I don’t think He’s impressed by the crumbs we sometimes offer.
Encouragement is available. We just have to take advantage of it. Maybe He’s just trying to get some of us hardheads into position to listen.
By Dr. Juan Harrison
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