Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: 1 Kings 19:1–21, Acts 12:1–23, Psalm 136:1–26, Proverbs 17:14–15

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Listening In Love

After spending time with the Lord this morning, He whispered this Gem of Knowledge to my heart:

“It is easy to hear Me when you love Me and listen – It’s easy to hear someone when you love them, listen, and care about what they think, feel, or want. You listen to know them. Amen.”

As I thought about those words, I realized how true they are in our everyday relationships.

Think about someone you love deeply.

You recognize their voice instantly. You notice when something is wrong. You can often tell what they’re thinking before they even say it. Why? Because you’ve spent time with them. You’ve listened to them. You care about what they think, feel, and want.

The goal isn’t merely hearing words – The goal is knowing the person.

The same is true with God.

Many people desperately want to hear God’s voice, but sometimes we approach it backward. We focus on techniques, methods, formulas, or signs. We search for ways to hear Him when what He really desires is relationship.

We hear Him best when we love Him, spend time with Him, and genuinely care about what He wants to say.

Today’s reading gives us one of the most beautiful examples of this truth in all of Scripture.

Elijah had just experienced an incredible victory on Mount Carmel. Fire fell from heaven. The prophets of Baal were defeated. Yet shortly afterward, Elijah found himself discouraged, exhausted, and afraid.

He fled into the wilderness and eventually found himself standing before the Lord on Mount Sinai.

Then something remarkable happened.

A mighty wind tore through the mountains, but God was not in the wind.
An earthquake shook the ground, but God was not in the earthquake.
A fire blazed, but God was not in the fire.

Then came a gentle whisper…and Elijah heard Him.

The whisper was not louder than the wind. It was not more powerful than the earthquake, nor was it more consuming than the fire.

Elijah recognized it was God’s voice.

Why?

Because he knew the One who was speaking. The relationship had already been built, so the whisper was enough.

How often are we waiting for the wind, the earthquake, or the fire while God is speaking in a whisper?

The noise of life can make us think God must speak loudly to get our attention. Yet often He speaks most clearly in quiet moments when our hearts are turned toward Him.

In Acts 12 Peter sat imprisoned, so the church gathered and prayed. They were seeking God because they loved Him and trusted Him. Their focus wasn’t on formulas. Their focus was on the Lord. Because of this, God moved powerfully on Peter’s behalf.

Throughout Scripture, the people who heard God most clearly were not necessarily the most educated, gifted, or important. They were the ones who knew Him personally and intimately.

Psalm 136 repeats the phrase:

“His faithful love endures forever.” (NLT)

Twenty-six times the psalmist reminds us of God’s enduring love.

This is so important because love is the foundation of relationship and relationship is the foundation of hearing.

The more we know Him, the more familiar His voice becomes.
The more we love Him, the more we care about what He thinks, feels, and wants.
The more we listen, the easier it becomes to recognize when He speaks.

Perhaps hearing God is not as complicated as we sometimes make it.

Perhaps it begins with loving Him enough to listen. 💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Do you love God enough to give Him 5 minutes of your time today? If so, ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Let today be a day of listening and observing Him. Focus on knowing Him rather than just getting answers.

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Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You that You desire a relationship with me. Help me love You more deeply and care about what You think, feel, and want. Teach me to quiet the noise around me and spend time listening for Your voice. Help me recognize Your whisper because I know Your heart. Draw me closer to You and deepen our relationship each day. In your mighty name I pray, Amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.