But as for you
Hello Bride of Christ,
When air pods (wireless headphones) came about I remember thinking, "what is all the craze?" I will admit I am a slow adopter to new things I find frivolous. However, recently my husband bought a pair and there is one feature about them I was completely oblivious too. Noise cancelation! When you place these air pods in your ears, if set to noise cancelation, all the noise is blocked. Small noises like your heating system and loud noises like the people who live with you. What I think stood out to me most is how my physical body responded to it. All of a sudden with all those noises silenced, in a way, my shoulders became less tense, and my mind was able to hold on to a clear thought for longer. My physical body whether I was conscious of it or not was carrying so much weight from this sound, that when blocked all of a sudden my body felt like a weight had been lifted off of it. There is power in sound.
The Lord who fashioned us is so aware of the impact of sound on His creation, that He gives warning and guidance all through out His word on being conscious of what we are hearing and listening. Although there are numerous references to be quoted regarding this topic we will hone in on Moses' advice to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 18: 14, as Moses speaks words of preparation to the people.
"For the nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you." Deuteronomy 18: 14
At this time the children of Israel were in the wilderness being led by Moses to the promise land. They had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and were headed to the land the Lord had promised them would be flowing with milk and honey. This is how God described it, "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of the valley and hills; a land of wheat and barely, of vine and figs trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper." (Deuteronomy 8:7-9) Sound good? Of course!
The promise land was not empty though. This land was inhabited by many different people groups. As a result, the Lord was constantly through Moses preparing the children of Israel, the chosen people. The Lord spoke to them about various life topics, such as their identity "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6), their moral compass "but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3), their worship "But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then there will be a place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide." (Deuteronomy 12:10-11), to even their listening "For the nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you." (Deuteronomy 18:14)
The Lord had such a great inheritance to give His chosen people, a land in which they would lack nothing! The price to pay in order to enjoy it to the fullest? What was their identity, moral compass, worship, and all aspects of their ability to enjoy their inheritance dependent on? Listening.
Learning to listen to the Lord. The children of Israel much like us today need to put on their air pods with noise cancelation activated. Do you hear it? "But as for you", says the Lord.
Bride of Christ, the Lord has given us an inheritance in Christ Jesus. An inheritance very similar to the one the children of Israel physically received, in that our inheritance through Jesus results in us lacking nothing! Do you feel like you lack fill in the blank? Well I welcome you to learn to put on your air pods and cancel out the noise of this world. Just like the children of Israel, if we choose to listen to the Lord and cancel out the noise and sound of this world, all the soothsayers, we will see what God has appointed for us. You would see what God has appointed for you. Jesus has done so much for us and we must become aware for Jesus said " you did not choose Me, but I choose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (John 15:16) Do you feel you lack? Then ask the Father in Jesus name and He will give it to you because as for you He has spoken marvelous plans. Lean in and listen.
