Luke 3:1-3
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As you read Luke 3:1-3, notice how Luke places the story in time.
Luke not only gives an historical framework for the story of John the Baptizer, his original audience would have would have been well acquainted with the brutal government officials he lists in this passage. And we’ll see later in Luke’s Gospel that the Jewish high priests he mentions, Annas and Caiaphas, were more interested in power and position than in representing the God of Israel. It was in the midst of this highly charged atmosphere that God spoke to John. And John was listening.
Stop to think about the following characters in Luke’s Gospel who received messages from God: Mary, Simeon, Anna and John. The common thread among these four is that they were waiting on God in faith and were ready to hear from God. Even Zechariah, despite his initial knee-jerk reaction, eventually opened the ears of his soul to God.
Imagine for a moment hearing from God in a blatantly obvious way. How do you think you would react? What if God’s voice was less obvious – more like a gentle whisper. Would you be able to recognize it? Talk openly with Jesus about your desire or lack of desire to hear from God.
Read Luke 3:1-3 again.
As an adult, John lived in the wilderness away from the commotion of villages and cities, and his environment probably helped him to develop good practices for listening to God. When John received God’s “message” he immediately acted on it and began sharing it openly despite the dangerous tenor of the times.
We are not all called to a life of asceticism like John, but we were all created to know God, to hear God, and to be God’s instruments of good in the world. But in a world gone wrong there is much to distract us from God’s voice and keep us from knowing God’s purpose for our lives.
Stop to consider how you are purposefully developing practices that help you hear from God. What environments are you creating to make space for listening to God and for preparing your heart to answer?
Take a moment to quiet yourself and to recognize the presence of Jesus in and around you. Then listen.
What is Jesus saying to you today?
What will you do in response?
Subscribe here to receive these guided meditations free by email Monday-Friday each week. If you find these meditations helpful, please forward them to a couple of friends.
The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
