Contemplative Bible Reading

Job 33:14-18 (New Living Translation)

14 For God speaks again and again,
though people do not recognize it.
15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they lie in their beds.
16 He whispers in their ears
and terrifies them with warnings.
17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
he keeps them from pride.
18 He protects them from the grave,
from crossing over the river of death.

This is a wonderful promise from God. God speaks to use again and again. My trouble is that I don’t always recognize the voice of God and heed God’s protective advice.

God speaks in dreams. My dreams are often crazy and mixed up and disturbing. I don’t want to listen.

Still, God whispers to me. God warns me and keeps me from wrong. And sometimes God tells me, “You aren’t so great. Calm down and quietly do what is right.” Sometimes, thankfully, I listen.

I believe God speaks to me in the song of tiny birds in high tree limbs and the low cry of a newborn child. God speaks to me in the smile of the young child sitting across Starbucks. “Things will be okay,” God tells me. “Trust Me,” God reminds me. “Breathe.”

Please God, help me to be still and listen. Let me not forsake your voice and the promise of your voice. Thank you for that and countless other blessings.