God is Still Speaking

 ¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.-1 Peter 2:18


I read a devotion the other day that ended with an interesting prayer:

God, give me ears to hear what you are saying today, even if it is different from what I thought I heard you say yesterday.  Amen.

The Bible is a very complicated book.  The individual books were created to speak to those who lived at the time they were written, but the Bible as a whole was also created to speak to you and me and all those who have lived in between.  It was made to speak to those who believed the world was flat.  And it was made to speak to those of us who can pick up one of many devices around our home and speak to someone on the other side of the (round :) ) world.  Amazing.  But is it any wonder that we can hear so many different interpretations of one line of scripture?  


Our own interpretations, opinions and viewpoints on everything in our lives - faith, politics, raising children, education, day-to-day living - all form from so many different things:  the church and schools we have attended, our parents and other family, our peers, and even our genetic make-up can effect how we form our interpretations, opinions and viewpoints.  And just because someone believes differently from us, doesn't necessarily mean one or the other is wrong.


God doesn't change, but he is ALWAYS doing new things.  And one of the ways he does new things is to speak to those who are willing to listen... who are willing to change what their whole lives have taught them to believe, if necessary.  I once read somewhere something that stuck in my head:

Just because you believe something with all your heart, doesn't necessarily make it true.

We have to be willing to change our minds and opinions if God asks it of us.  But we won't know that God is asking it of us unless we are willing to really listen... to really put our own judgments aside to understand if God might be asking us to believe something totally different.


There is a "fullness of time" to all things.  When it was time for humankind to know the true shape of the world, someone listened and God began doing a new thing on earth.  I wonder how long after the first voyage around the world it took for people who were so entrenched in their belief that the world was flat finally let go.  How long will it take us to hear about the new things God is doing today?  


We know, don't we, that slavery is morally wrong.  And yet the Bible treats it matter-of-factly... as something that just is.  But there came a "fullness of time" for slavery to come to an end.  Someone listened to God doing a new thing.  Are we willing to let go of things we have believe all our lives in order to take another look?


The Bible is a wonderful, miraculous tool.  But it is not the final word.  God is still speaking.  Will you listen?


Father,
Help us to hear you speak.  Help us to embrace the new things you are doing in the world today.  Amen.


Joys:  Plans to hike with Richard today (if I can get him out of bed... he's still on California time); gorgeous, gorgeous Fall day; God still speaks