Summoned

Have you ever been summoned?  Perhaps it was for jury duty, or to a business meeting, or simply to a private conversation.  I used to call "family meetings" when the boys were at home, which although important, I never considered them frightful or alarming.  The boys' friends, however, were always anxious to know the outcome of family meetings, and glad when the boys were available to hangout.

 

In the Old Testament, there are numerous times when God spoke directly to men.  More than 25 times, we read where the "word of the LORD" came to the prophet Ezekiel.  As we age, it's not uncommon our ability to hear diminishes and we get rely on devices to help us hear.  When God speaks to us, however, hearing devices are irrelevant. Rather, what is needful is a heart to hear The Creator when He speaks. Scripture records that Ezekiel often said very little, even mute at times, unless he had words from God for the wayward Israel nation.  One of the first things we learned in life is how difficult it is to hear and talk at the same time.  Even in our quiet times, we think we have to do the talking -- wrong!  Some of my sweetest times of fellowship with The Father and most profound messages from Him have come when I sat quietly with the open Word before me.  Yes, of course, there are times we are summoned and God speaks in the whirlwind (stormy circumstances) but His message comes [too] in the stillness of moments devoted to Him.  The psalmist wrote, "Be still and know that I am God" (46:10) ... yes, be still my mouth -- my hands -- my feet -- my mind -- my spirit ... and hear the "word of the LORD."  Every Christian should have at least one place where he regularly meets God, a designated place where His Spirit summons us to draw near to Him so He will draw near to us (James 4:8).   Yes, I've been summoned a few times and felt the shivers up my spine -- don't care too much for those summons.  Of all the sweet earthly things and times, none is sweeter than a summons for the Believer to come into the Presence of God.  He’s calling – are you listening?