Slow Down, Quiet Down & Listen to Jesus

Slow Down, Quiet Down & Listen to Jesus BY RICK WARREN — DECEMBER 3, 2014 8911 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke 8:14 NIV) You can’t hear God if your mind is crowded with other thoughts or concerns — particularly worries, plans, and activities. If you’re always listening to the radio or the tv, when God calls you, the circuits are going to be busy. You’ve got to eliminate the distractions. Jesus says in Luke 8:7, “Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants” (CEV). The kind of soil with weeds in it was actually planted with crops and begins to grow. But as it grows, weeds grow up around it, and the weeds begin to choke out the life of the vegetable or the plant, so it never bears fruit. Here’s what Jesus says is the meaning of Luke 8:7: “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14 NIV).  There are three things that choke out hearing God: Worry. Worries are weeds. When you’re so busy with the problems and pressures of daily living, it makes it harder to hear God. Riches. You can be so busy trying to pay your bills, so busy trying to get out of debt, so busy trying to make more, and so busy making a living that you don’t make a life. Pleasure. There’s nothing wrong with pleasure. But God said that when you’re so busy pursuing fun, you miss him and his plans for your life. You don’t have to cultivate weeds. They grow automatically, don’t they? In fact, weeds are a sign of neglect. If you see weeds in your yard or garden, it means you’re not tending your yard or garden. The weeds in your spiritual life are a sign that you’re neglecting time with God. When all the circuits are busy, you need to get quiet. Talk It Over What are the distractions in your life that keep you from spiritual growth? How can you eliminate those distractions? How much of your day is spent in silence? What would change about your life if you made it quieter? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQByEUerXjU Get Your Joy Back! TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Did you know that it is God’s will for you to be joyful always? He wants you to be happy and carefree. He wants you to love your life no matter what your circumstances look like. In fact, when you have joy in the midst of difficult circumstances, that is evidence that you have faith and trust that God will bring you through. Joy is strength. When you have His supernatural joy, you can stand strong no matter what’s going on around you. You might say, “I’m just not a real jovial person. I’m more serious. I never laugh much.” And of course, God made us all differently, but you can train yourself to laugh more. One article said that the average child laughs over 200 times a day, but the average adult only laughs 4 times a day. What’s happened? We’ve allowed the pressures of life, stress and more responsibilities, little by little, to steal our joy. Make the decision today to get your joy back! Decide that you are going to look beyond your problems and look at what God will do on your behalf. Ask Him every day to fill you with His supernatural peace and joy so that you can live in His strength and victory all the days of your life! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Heavenly Father, I humbly receive Your Word today. I choose to open my heart to You and invite You to fill me with Your joy and strength. Thank You for showing me Your goodness and empowering me with Your grace. I bless You today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen.