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The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ Then the Lord replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’ (Deuteronomy 18:15-20)
The first time I heard a prophetic word I was about six years old. I was the son of a man who loved to see his children dressed up for church and that usually meant a suit with a tie. On a Sunday, my pastor said, "I think you would make a good pastor one day!" Nope. Not what a six year old wants to hear. Thanks anyway. The truth is that God still speaks to us; through His word, through sermons, and even through the voice of someone we know. A prophetic verse is not necessarily a "I can see the future and this is what it holds" word, it is a word from God that speaks to our situation right here and now. It is not always a pleasant word either.
In today's passage, the people of God, sadly a grumbling and complaining bunch, for almost 40 years heard God's thunder on the mountain; they saw the fire lead them by night, and the cloud by day. They had been fed and watered by God, and they even heard the word of God from Moses. But they had reached a point where they said above, "If I have to hear God one more time or see this great fire, I will die!" Sounds like us when offered leftovers for supper. But God heard that and told them He would raise up a new prophet from among them, a peer prophet. God would use that prophet to continue to speak to them His commands, and the people were to hear and obey whatever this prophet shared with them.
Do you listen to God? After you read this devotional, what do you do to stay in touch with God? Have you heard in your conversations anything God-like that spoke to your heart and need? Have you opened your mouth with a word from God because you felt led or have you pretty much just tried to lead a quiet life? Do you think the world around us still needs to hear from God? We might not see it much in our settings, but in others, you can't see young people without seeing them wearing earbuds or headphones. I've seen people working in setting where they're allowed to have these and I wonder how much they truly hear? I believe they're looking for something and listening to anything to try and find that something. It might just be the word of God they are looking for and haven't found someone to share it with them. Could it be you they're waiting for to share a word of hope and peace with them?
PRAYER: Awesome God, speak to us in ways that lead us to speak to others what You would have us speak. Bless us with enthusiasm and joy about what You share so that it be a contagious word that speaks to their hearts, minds, and spirits. Help us break the silences that people may be in with the joyful noise of Your love; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be the joyful noise someone needs to hear today!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER UPDATES AND REQUESTS: Dear one, thank you for your continued prayers. Rev. Emet Huntsman, after a long procedure, is in a room recovering from the ablation they did to him. It was about a six hour procedure and he is resting well. Please continue to pray for his recover and for Rev. Sue, his wife. Charlotte Wilson underwent her surgery and needs our prayers as she recovers. Our sister Myrtle Ann Robinson was taken to DeTar Hospital in Victoria. The niece of Marie Curie is fighting cancer but may be in the last stages of life. Your prayers mean so much to God and to the people for whom we pray. Never underestimate the power of prayer. We are a praying people!
