Unplug!

A Reflection on Psalm 95:7b-9 N.A.B.

By: Larry T

Scripturally “hardness of heart” can mean imperviousness to God’s revelation (Exodus 7:13, Mark 6:52) as well as willful resistance to signs of God’s presence (Mark 8:17). Those who harden their hearts refuse to see, hear, or acknowledge God’s attempts to communicate with them.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:

“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,

as in the day of Massah in the desert,

Where your fathers tempted me;

they tested me though they had seen my works.”
 – Psalm 95:7b-9 N.A.B.

Will we hear God today? Maybe. At some point on our spiritual journey, like young Samuel, we have to familiarize ourselves with the Lord’s way.

¹ During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.

² One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.

³ The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.

⁴ The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep.

⁶ Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But he answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”

⁷ At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.

⁸ The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.

⁹ So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” When Samuel went to sleep in his place,

¹⁰ the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 N.A.B.

And if we want to hear him we have to listen intently because God doesn’t yell, as evidenced in the First Book of Kings, he whispers:

¹¹ Then the LORD said, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

¹² After the earthquake there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.

¹³ When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”

- 1 Kings 19:11-13 N.A.B.

How hard would it have been for me to hear God while I was watching the broadcast of the New England Patriot / Indianapolis Colt game? Was watching that game a bad thing? I hope not! How hard is it to hear God during a frantic work day? How about while I’m reading the daily news or checking text messages?

Will I hear the Lord in the tranquility of an hour of perpetual adoration? How about during the serenity of contemplative prayer? While reading Holy Scripture? Praying the rosary? Maybe. But if I don’t unplug from the world and set time aside for Him, I will never hear Him. 

And if I do feel a nudge steering me in one direction or the other, how will I know if it is truly the Lord? I will know that it is Jesus when I am being guided into somehow contributing to the spread of His Kingdom.