what are you saying?
I’ve been doing a Bible reading plan where you read the whole thing in 30 days. I know—it’s a lot in a short period of time. But one of my favorite things about it is how it gives me a zoomed-out, consistent view of who God is.
It’s less about who He is in the moment-to-moment and more about who He is over time. Which is, of course, the same. He is good and faithful and patient. (So patient.)
One thing I noticed this time that I keep thinking about is how God is the God who hears.
In Genesis 16, an angel of the Lord meets Hagar and tells her God has heard her cries and that she is to name her baby Ishmael, which means “God hears.”
In Exodus 2, it says that God heard the Israelites’ groaning under the burden of slavery in Egypt.
In Exodus 16, the Israelites complain about God and their circumstances, and God hears it.
But He doesn’t just hear what they say, He responds to it.
An angel comes to Hagar and tells her about her baby, her descendants, and her future. She is running away, but she gains the courage to go back and endure. God rescues the Israelites, and they are freed from slavery. He gives them manna, and they have enough to eat.
If you know the story, you know that the Israelites continue to complain in the wilderness, in spite of how God shows up for them again and again. They have moments of praise and gratitude, but something always comes up and they’re at it again.
The reasons for the Israelites’ complaints vary, but the conclusion they draw and the statement they continually make is always the same: God brought us out into the wilderness to die.
Then, in Numbers 14, God doesn’t just respond, He actually states that He will do exactly what He’s heard them say:
Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. You will all drop dead in the wilderness!’ (vv. 27b–28)
There’s a lot to be unpacked here, but I just keep thinking about the things I say in my day-to-day life about what I see, feel, and experience. The things I don’t really think twice about because it’s real! The things I keep repeating.
What does it say about where I’m going? What does it say about God? What if He did exactly what He heard me say?
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about what we call the places we’re in. And this week, I’m trying to swap out my everyday phrases.
When someone asks about my life, I might mention that I’m not really sure what I’m doing or what God’s doing, but I tell them He’s doing something. That I’m going to see miracles.
When someone asks about how my book is coming along, rather than focusing on how hard it feels for me to get words on paper these days, I tell them I trust God with the process, that His hand is on mine as I write.
I can’t say how it will play out, but I know God hears me. And as long as He does, I will submit requests for the outcomes I want to see. Even if it doesn’t feel true, something in me shifts. Like my words, if nothing else, spark hope in my own heart.
What are you saying today? What do you want to see? Maybe it’s as simple as swapping,”This is going to be awful” for “This is going to be great.”
It’s going to be a great day.
The power of God is in you, even on a Thursday.