From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God. Self cannot satisfy self. We must hunger for God.
This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God. Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.
“Absent God, all other desire, by necessity, will fail to fully satisfy us.”
—-James Davison Hunter
Day 22: Fasting Noise
Throughout the life of Christ and the eyewitness accounts of the apostles, it is clear he enjoyed an ongoing prayer conversation with the heavenly Father. Scripture records many of those conversations with Jesus’ words, but several times the Father audibly responded to his Son—Baptism, Transfiguration, and just before his Last Supper. The Father’s voice was heard differently, but an awareness that it was a voice [Gk. (phōnē—audible sound] from above was emphatic [from a cloud, heaven, the abode of God].
The sound of God’s voice was not always heard by everyone, sometimes it was only Jesus and John the Baptist, the disciples Peter, James, and John, or was described by other listeners as ‘thunder.’ Can you imagine hearing the audible voice of God? I have never heard the audible voice of God, but many times God has spoken inaudibly in the depths of my spirit and my soul acknowledges the authority and bows. Tears fill my eyes and knowledge is met with understanding. We were created to communion with God—to have conversation with God as our greatest desire—and it has been my experience that he speaks in the midst of silence.
Today, we will fast noise and all the external sounds in life that are so deafening and distracting; maybe an hour would be a good goal for us. This world is filled with noise and we are so used to it, we may actually struggle with silence. Moments ago, my washer and dryer played a little tune interrupting the silence. Think about it for a minute and reflect upon your preferred environment. Everything comes with a noise of some kind—microwave, refrigerator, alarm system, beeps and bells in every direction. Do you listen to music while working, driving, leisure? Or, maybe you have the TV on for noise. Then, there is social media or youtube with our phone in hand spending hours watching and listening. Is there any time you just sit in silence and desire conversational time with God? We must be deliberate. Being alone with God should be satisfying.
Jesus prayed with anguish in the Garden, but he did not ask to be delivered from God’s purpose for him Then, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and protected by Peter who both wanted to find an alternative route to salvation. In our passage today, Jesus is under trial by the religious leaders. All of it would have played out so differently if humanity was willing to hear from God.
John 18:12-14 NLT Jesus at the High Priest’s House
12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the ability to hear your voice in our spirits. When we shut out all the noises of the world, we position ourselves to recognize when you communicate with us. We desire for our lives to be led by you so we gain the assurance we are moving according to your plan. Today, help us set aside a period of time and fast noise, because the audible distractions of this world can be very deafening. May silence comfort and satisfy us today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.