The first ministry we undertake...

To minister is to meet a need.  When we speak of someone being in the ministry we actually are not using the best description. 

Why?

Because we can all meet a need.  Even if it is just one need.  In fact, we all partake in the ministry.  And we have to before we can do anything else for Christ.

What is that ministry?...

Singing.

Listen up!

I love the Lord.  I love the way He gently corrects me.  I even love the way He corrects me not-so-gently.

I’ve learned that the staff and the rod can comfort.  They stand for protection and correction.

Protection is easy to find comfort in…

Correction, not so much.

But still, I need His correction.  And the thought that He would care enough to invest the time in me to make sure that I am not getting too far off course… that is comforting.

He corrected me the other night.  I was thanking Him for not being silent.  I was praising Him for allowing me to hear His voice.

I said, “Dad! I want to hear you more!”

And He answered,…

“I want you to start listening.”

Ouch.  Again.  It seems there is more wrong with me than I would care to admit.

But I am so glad He said it.  I need to start listening. 

Listen:  to act on what is heard

God wants us to act on His Word.  When we hear Him… whether in that still small voice,  through the pages of scripture, or from the pulpit… ACT on it.

We must first hear.  But believing requires action.  It is acting in according with… your confession… what you have heard.

Listening then is an active thing.

I hear my wife.  But do I always listen?  No… unfortunately.  And that is dishonoring to her.  That hinders my prayer.  I don’t always act on what I have heard.  But I need to.

And I need to act on what I have heard from God… so I can hear more.

To hear more… listen!

Lord,

Thank You for opening up what it means to listen.  Thank You for being so patient with me.  Give me ears to hear but hands and feet to listen!

In Jesus’ Name

SDG

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The Beatitudes. A famous list of “blessed are the” statements.  We first read them in Matthew 5. 

I like to think of them as the “Be Attitudes.”  Have the attitude to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek…  and you will get all of the “for they’s.”

But in order to understand these statements, we need to define exactly what it means to be these things.

And we will start with “meek” because it is so commonly misunderstood…