What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! (Mt 10:27b NLT).
I want to be close enough to Jesus to listen to his whispers. Life is full of distractions. So many things fight for our attention. And there is an epidemic of spiritual A.D.D. We must work hard to overcome the things that would catch our attention and turn it away from the most important pursuit, following Jesus. I challenge myself to follow hard after Jesus; best quoted from the King James Version,
My soul followeth hard after thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me. Psalm 63:8 (KJV 1900)
Some verses sound more spiritual when you use the word thee. Don’t you think? Anyway, my heart’s goal is to follow Jesus close enough that I can hear him whisper. Can I be trusted with Jesus’ secrets? We all have had someone ask, “Can I trust you with a secret?” Usually, the secret must not be told to anyone. You are to keep this information in confidence. In this case, Jesus tells his followers that they are being sent out into ministry, and there are secrets of the Kingdom that need to be shouted.
When were you last close enough to Jesus to hear him whisper a secret? Carrying a secret demands faithfulness. First, you have to be a faithful enough friend to get close enough to listen to the whisper.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:13–14NLT).
Read the context in Jeremiah 29. God promises his people, who are about to be sent into exile, hope and a future (vs. 11). Despite their waywardness, God tells his people there is hope and a future if they seek him. God does not play hide-and-seek. He draws close to us when we seek Him.
I am challenged to be close enough to Jesus to hear him whisper and to tell the secrets of the Kingdom to anyone who will listen. What are the secrets of the Kingdom? Ask Jesus, read the Gospels, and listen to Jesus’s whisper.
New Hope 