“O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries…I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:13-14, 16, NASB)

This is such an encouraging psalm, to get a sense of the expression of God’s heart for us! He wants to bless us with “the finest of the wheat” - that is so encouraging! He wants what is best for me, and all I need to do is listen to His voice (v10) and obey. Yet if I persist in pursuing my own way and my own interests, then I will miss out on the best that He has for me. O Lord, protect me from the stubbornness of my own heart (v12) and the tendency to think that I know what’s best for me.

When it comes to listening, I had a recent opportunity with one of my own kids to see how important listening is. I carefully explained (or so I thought) how to transfer the sprinkler handle and a length of hose from the front yard to the back yard in order to water a new plot of grass seed out back. When I went out later, I discovered that he had made extra work for himself connecting and disconnecting lengths of hose that were unnecessary and made the task more complicated. A small matter, but a good object lesson for me about careful listening.

Do I carefully listen for God’s voice? Sometimes I think my problem is in obeying and walking, but maybe the problem lies more in the initial listening. O to hear Your voice clearly, for Your insight in matters of daily concern. There are also things You make plain, Lord. May I be attentive to those and responsive as well. May Your Holy Spirit and Your Word bring light and understanding to those issues of my life that need Your intervention, and may I take action and walk accordingly. Amen.

Another old friend, Psalm 81. I memorized this psalm 30 years ago. As I sat down to read it last week, it was like sitting back with a cup of coffee and catching up with an old familiar friend. So many good memories to recount, and also the anticipation that I might discover something new as well.

It is so good to have memorized the Word over the years, and then be awash with pleasant thoughts when I come back to these familiar passages in my devotional reading. Yet I’ve let my Scripture memory slip. My discipline in this has been inconsistent the past few years. I would like to make it a priority again and incorporate memory and review back into my schedule. When people have asked me what are the keys to effective Scripture memory, one essential I include is having someone else who is also committed to the process to keep me motivated and on track. Please pray for me that someone local would rise to the opportunity to be a memory partner for me, and we could encourage one another as we hide the Word of God in our hearts.