Having worked on my Masters Degree in Ignoring the Obvious most of my life, it shouldn’t surprise me that my shotgun approach to prayer, e.g. me having prolonged, repetitive monologues launched in the general God-direction, spilled over into my ‘listening’ to God through His Word.
Judging by the number of copies of the Bible I have in different translations, including some that showcase the languages I don’t even know or recognize, one would think I am quite an expert on the subject of listening to God. But, my 'expertise' has been largely focused on ferreting out a single verse, ripped out of its context that ‘speaks’ fireworks into my darkness. The same God who spoke Light into darkness, I gather, aims this little laser at me, fires it, and, Ka-boom! - the light switch is suddenly turned on, my ears tingle and I am mildly dizzy from the intensity of the revelation.
Wow! Cool! Do it again, God!
Now, I am not saying that God can’t or doesn't speak and encourage us through this laser gun approach in communicating with His children. In fact, sad as well as embarrassed to admit it, but most of my Christian life has been sustained through such fireworks display. The array of verses has grown over the years, of course, but they read more like a Webster dictionary rather than a compelling, intriguing, heart-wrenching and sometimes hilarious true love story. If watching 24 doesn't seem like a lullaby in comparison, and Jack Bauer's life doesn't illicit an occasional yawn, could it be that there is something terribly wrong with the way I approach God's Word? Could there be a better way to listening to God speaking instead of playing this celestial laser-tag?
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