Are we listening? Are we seeing?
Can we hear? Can we see? Are we able to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit and see with our hearts as Simeon did? In Luke 2:27-32, Simeon was moved by the promptings of the Holy Spirit and went into the temple courts where he met Jesus. Holding Jesus, he could “see” salvation and felt so much peace. The lures of the world prevent us from listening to and seeing the messages from our Lord. The response we have may not be like that of the biblical characters like Abraham and Moses most often because we are distracted by the demands of this world.
In Hebrews 11:6, we learn that if we want to draw near to God, we must believe He exists and that He rewards those who seek him. In Matthew 21:22, we know that whatever we ask in prayer and believing it, we will receive. Despite knowin g this, when we are tested, fear gets in the way. Our fear paralyses us to take action. Abraham on the other hand was prepared to give up his son Isaac when he was asked to by the Lord. How then did Abraham learn to trust the Lord? When he was younger, Abraham (then known as Abram) shared his worries with the Lord. The Lord told him not to be worried as He will be his shield and Abraham will be greatly rewarded (Gen 15:1-6).
Similarly, God is also telling us trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and not to be afraid nor discouraged for He will be with us where ever we go (Joshua 1:9).
In Jeremiah 29:11, God says He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and future.
By Elizabeth Ng