Listen For Life

New Year resolutions or promises more often than not fail. They fail because we are very conscious of old patterns of human effort that limit and ensnare us. We hear the echoes of past failures and  what we hear gets our attention. Isaiah 55:3 says "Incline your ear and come to Me. Hear and your soul will live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you - the sure mercies of David." The covenant promise from God is that if we listen to Him, we will live.


God communicates with the content of a covenant. That is, He makes promises that are not affected by circumstances or even human failings. A covenant is not a contract. A covenant is initiated and performed by God. A contract depends upon agreement between different parties. When He spoke a covenant promise to David, it was not dependant upon David or his descendants to perform to make it happen. In fact David's earthly kingdom decayed within decades. Yet Isaiah prophesied that "He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing it...from that time on and forever." (Is. 9:7) The covenant promises are dependant upon God's Son - His performance alone. The believer is simply asked to believe and receive the covenant promises by faith. When Abraham believed the promise that he would have children and descendants (against all of the odds), it was credited to him as righteousness. "By faith, Noah when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear, he built an ark to save his family". (Heb. 11:6) Interestingly the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 were commended for their faith in covenant promises irrespective of their human failings.


When we can attune our ear to the covenant promises of God, we will never be disappointed, frustrated or disillusioned. We will find life. Our souls will thrive. When we feast on His finished work as represented by communion, we will receive His life. We will hear His voice. The Holy Spirit will never whisper condemnation or shame. He will never put you down. He will only ever lift you up. During 2016, listen to His voice. His voice builds. The second voice is the voice of doubt. It is the voice that says, "did God really say that...?" The Holy Spirit will always have you behold the glory of the Lord. His mirror reveals His glory. Covenant promises are never broken promises. Broken mirrors distort who we are but His mirror only reveals His fullness and His life.


Covenant promises are received by faith in His finished work. When we hear and receive His promises will find that our soul prospers. A prosperous soul is a soul that trusts in the promises of God. a prosperous soul will "magnify the Lord" (Luke 1:46) A prosperous soul will be settled and content.


"Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers" (3 John 2).














This blog is based on a message by Ross Smith called "Listen For Life" at The Vine Church, Logan City, Queensland, Australia on 3rd January 2016. The full message can be accessed by pod cast from www.thevine.org.au/teaching.