listening & small yes's

Mark 4: 24 Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given — and you will receive even more. 25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

Jesus is speaking here, in His explanation of His Parable of the Four Soils. He basically says here that if you listen to Me, you will develop a stronger & stronger habit of hearing what I'm really saying, & I'll give you more & more understanding of what you're hearing.

The opposite is true if we choose to not listen.

This scripture reminded me of something Andy King once said in a sermon in 2003, before we moved from the old Second Baptist building (over on Edna Place, which is just north of the Macon Mall).

He told us that day that he had realized that he had gotten to the place & point he found himself with the lord by the saying of a series of small "yes's". It seems that we say a small yes to God by listening to what He says, which leads to another time when God places before us the challenge of saying "yes" to Him again. And that "yes" leads to another challenge to trust Him more & say "yes" - which leads to another, then another, & another - you get the picture.

Finally,we look up & realize that we haven't become or done anything extraordinary by saying one GREAT BIG YES about something, but rather a lot of small yes's to small questions, opportunities, or challenges that have built upon the previous yes's, which finally end us up in pretty incredible place with Him.

And how many of us have experienced a small, insignificant "no," that is followed by another little bitty "no," followed by another "no," until we look up & we have wandered farther away from Him on something than intended?

Where would we all be if Pastor Andy hadn't chosen to listen to what he thought just might have been God calling him to be a minister?

Where would we all be if Pastor John hadn't chosen to listen to what he thought just might be God calling him to start a church?

Where would we all be if Pastor LeAnn hadn't chosen to listen to what she thought just might be God wanting her to start leading worship?

We could go on & on & on, talking about moments when people said a small yes to listen for just a moment, to actually entertain the thought that God might want them to be or do something.

Where would we be if a year ago if I hadn't chosen to listen when the Lord started to whisper to me about establishing a presence in downtown Macon? (I almost dismissed it as daydreaming.)

Where is it in your life that God seems to be whispering something to you so fantastic that you don't really know if you're gonna chose to linger & listen to it?

Linger...

Listen...

If it's of Him, you'll know.

And say yes to it.

It will make all the difference in the world.