I’ve always hoped God would speak to me. I’ve wanted to hear his voice so I could be absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he exists. I’ve always kind of envied the disciples who walked with him, listened to his stories, were there when he gave sight to the blind, healed the crippled, and cast out the demons. Peter, James, and John got to do it all. They even got to see Jesus in his glory.
Now be honest, haven’t you wished God would speak to you? Wouldn’t you like to hear his voice? Don’t you think that we should expect God to speak to us? After all he spoke face to face with Moses. Abraham heard his voice. Jacob wrestled with an angel and he “knew” God was in that place. God spoke to the prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. Doesn’t it make sense that we should expect to hear God’s voice?
But then I wonder, would it really make any difference in how we live our lives if God spoke to us or invited us to meet him on top of a mountain and revealed his glory to us? If he did would we be more willing to give our all to him then? Would we be more willing to love and care for our sisters and brothers who are struggling with life? Would hearing God’s voice and seeing his glory change how we are and who we are today? I guess that’s something only each of us can give the answer to.
Speaking for myself if I heard God’s voice speaking to me, and it was just me and him, I’d probably have a heart attack, literally. Can you just imagine what it’d be like? It’s no wonder that Peter babbled on about building huts for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
But, of course, you’re all saying, “God isn’t going to speak to David, or me.” He’s way to busy to take the time to talk to me. I wonder if that’s true. Maybe he’s spoken to you and me and we just haven’t heard. That could happen. There are times people have said something to me and I never heard them. It’s not that I’m deaf, really, I just wasn’t paying attention.
I don’t think the lesson for us today is about hearing God’s voice or going up on a mountain to see God’s glory. I think the lesson for us is that believing in Jesus and inviting him into our hearts and our lives will change us from the inside out. Our faces may not glow like Moses' did after he talked with God. No one will probably see us talking with Elijah or Moses but I believe they will see that we are changed.
Spending time daily in God’s presence can’t help but transform us. Listening for God’s voice to speak to us will change us, whether we actually hear him speak or not. The act of sitting and waiting patiently for God will change us.
It all begins with believing those who were witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus. If we believe their words that they were reliable witnesses then it makes it easier to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Chosen One, the Savior of the world.
That’s it. We are being asked to make a decision today. Do we believe Jesus was the Beloved Son of God or wasn’t he? Believing is the first step.
And after we’ve taken the first step it’s easier to take the next and the next and the next until we’ve finally given our all to the One who truly loves and cares for us. Once we’ve given him our allegiance we may wonder why we took so long.
Friends, God loves you and wants nothing more than to be loved by you. Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.
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