Hearing His Voice #70

[The Lord said,] “You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.”

Isaiah 43:10

FROM THE HEART OF GOD

“You have gone through times in your life when you thought My greatest desire for you was to behave. Or to fulfill the great commission. Or to accomplish great spiritual feats. Or to teach, to serve, or to love one another. And it’s true that all of these things are good. But My greatest desire for you is simply to know Me, believe Me, and worship Me alone as God. Your life isn’t nearly as complicated as you’ve made it. I have called you to relate to Me.

“You call this ‘the greatest commandment’ because that’s how My Word expresses it, but what you’ve done with the word commandment isn’t what I originally had in mind. I’m not giving you orders to love Me; love under compulsion isn’t love at all. I’m simply telling you that loving Me is your highest goal and the one purpose that will lead to your fulfillment. This is your purpose, your design, the reason I made you. Your primary responsibility in life is to look to Me. If you don’t do that, nothing else you do will be enough.

“You need to be aware of this when you listen for My voice. If you’re seeking guidance, correction, wisdom, revelation about the future, insight into your problems, or anything else, but are seeking it without this understanding of My highest goal for you, you will hear with the wrong ears. My voice will turn into a harsh command or a never-ending instruction manual or an impossible assignment. You will dread hearing Me and hope that I remain silent. Your perception of Me will become more and more skewed until you lose sight of My true nature. But if you are thoroughly convinced of My highest purpose for your life—to know and love Me—My words will take on a different sound. You will crave Me every day and be satisfied in what you hear.”

Father, there’s freedom in choosing simply to know and love You. That takes the pressure off my spiritual agendas. May I hear everything You say through that perspective.