Can You Hear Me Now?

Psalms 81:11-16

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

One of the running commercials a few years ago was from Verizon Wireless.  Remember the man in the Verizon work uniform going from place to place saying, "Can you hear me now? Good." This was played so much on the television that people started saying it. Every time someone would have bad reception on their cell phone they would say, "Can you hear me now?"

This morning, as we read our scripture, did you think of that same line?  I imagine God asking us, "Can you hear me now?"  When I was young my parents would ask me if I was listening to them or not.  They knew the answer to the question but wanted to hear me say it.  I would hear them, but I really wasn't listening to them.  Seems like God is saying the exact same thing about Israel in this scripture.

His people just wouldn't hearken, or listen, to what He was trying to tell them.  It's almost like the reception was bad.  Reception problems don't come from the tower, especially the one God has. Reception problems come from the things that block us from the signal.  Things that block us from the view of the tower. God's signal is the strongest. His call is the loudest. It's us who have things in our lives that block the reception.

Read again our scripture.  If only they had listened!  Look at what they could have enjoyed.  If I had only listened to the wisdom of my parents, look at the misery I could have bypassed in my life. If I would listen to Christ and His guidance imagine the pain I could avoid. God is trying to speak to you today through His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Don't hear Him, listen to Him.  Can you hear Him now?