What things will grab our attention today? What are the things that you and I will allow to take time and energy away from our walk with God and our desire to serve Him?  Sometimes, without even knowing it we can become encumbered by things that really don't matter, issues like O.J. or another celebrity's troubles become more vital thanGod, Even things that we may see as not negative or positive like the Redskins or Ravens, can become a bigger part of our lives than they deserve. There may not be anything terrible about having interests and activities that take my or your time, but what is dangerous is to let things drowned out the voice of God and His peace in our lives.  We live in a fast paced, interactive world that with a touch of a computer key board we can be connected to all the information that we need and much, that we don't.

If you and I take the lead in we will have the tendency to fill our every day up with things that may not matter most.  In the book of Acts chapter 13, there is an account of people who let the Holy Spirit Lead. Leaders and prophets had gathered together to seek God, to fast and to pray.  "While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."  I love the verse because it challenges me. Here are men like us who at that time in the life of the church there were many things that they could have been worried about or focused on. But what they were most longing for was to be with Jesus and to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. God did speak in a way not only that they could hear, but in a way that affected the course of the world.  Barnabas and Saul being set off was the beginning of God's master plan to reach the gentiles.  God moved all because these men of God were listening. Do I listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit or is the attention from other things taking the place of really listening? If I am honest with myself the answer is not always what it should be. For me the best time to hear from the Lord is early in the morning long before the schedule and the other agenda items known and unknown kick in. For me it is in the quiet moments that God grabs my attention and He can speak in a way that can I understand.  Listening requires assumes that we will give God the oppurtunity to speak.  Like Samuel who as a young man learned to listen, may we learn to discern the voice of God and listen to His voice.  He wants to talk with us, through His word , Through our prayer life in amazing ways. Our Lord Speaks continually "Lord teach me to listen.  Teach me to hear the voice of God above all other voices."