Dear Ones,
Hope you have great day. Rain is expected and we surely need it. It is Donut Day here and later Bible Study. I plan to make egg dishes and listen to a seminar etc.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Many of us may agree we should talk less and listen more, for it is hard to hear the Lord or others when we are interrupting or thinking of what we will say next. There are many places in Scripture that tell us to listen carefully, so we need to pay attention. Eccl. 5:2 says, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.”
We live in a very noisy world, and to really listen we need quiet not only without but within. Years ago, Al and I went to a silent retreat at a Cistercian monastery. They practice silence and even at meal time no word was spoken. It was a new experience and I have to say I took more thought in what I was eating and was conscious of each bite. The silence was quite a change from our noisy world and times like that help us deal with ourselves. So much our lives are lived by reacting to outward things, and even the dings from our cell phones tell us someone wants our attention. But silence helps us to act from within ourselves and we begin to see our real needs and those of others.
When the weather is nice, it is restoring to just sit outside and listen to the sounds of nature, the singing of the birds and the breeze through the trees. We become more aware of the Lord and take pleasure in even the little things.
If we are honest with ourselves, there are probably times for most of us when we realize we have talked too much and should have remained quiet. Some time ago we had a couple over for dinner and we asked about their family and their lives and they shared and shared but never once did they ever address a question to us. I said to Al that they never found out anything more than what they came with as they only talked about their lives but nothing more. Let us all weigh our words and speak as the Lord directs us and talk less and listen more.
Challenge for today: Take time to be quiet and live more in God’s reality!
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy