I am at the moment learning to listen to Jesus, learning how to listen to him, learning to know when he is speaking to me..
Is it when I am wandering around trying to find my way then all of a sudden something happens which I think may be a sign: perhaps it is a song that comes to mind, or a leaflet through the door, an out of the blue phone call from a long lost friend or relative or an advert in the paper. I do not literally hear him “should I”?

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”

In all our sickly-sweet adoration of Jesus “my friend and my redeemer” we must never forget that this man was a Jewish rabbi who came to fulfil the prophesies of the Jewish scripture – our “Old Testament”.  This saying seems to point directly to the book of Deuteronomy and we should look there if we are to understand God’s purpose in sending Jesus to us.

When the text arrived we found the verse in the bible, read several more and then somehow through the discusssion ended up talking about the ten commandments and the debate which Anne Widdecome had with Stephen Fry (the programme was recommended at our meeting with the Bishop) finished with us reading verses from genesis and deuteronomy - amazing stuff from a household where the Bible is something in the bookcase.  What is it going to be like for real during Lent?

I’ve been finding recently that *trust* is a big help to listening to God. Trusting we are known. Trusting we are loved. Trusting we are understood. Trusting we are held - for eternity. At the point of trust I find I can let go more, and stop my own attempts to control and direct, and it seems to me that at that point it can become easier in the stillness and surrender to love, to actually listen.

I’m going to try to trust more this Lent, and that is built on the huge grounds we have, as Christians, to trust - in God’s tender mercy and grace and faithfulness, shown so clearly in Jesus Christ.

I was talking to my Spiritual Director yesterday, bemoaning the lack of updates on the Challenge and Twitter and today what appears ... and what a great verse to start with. In those few words is so much potential. Dare we stop,  look, listen and learn, or are we all too busy. I have got the beatles playing - the track “All you need is love.”  There’s that power breaking through again - priase the Lord.

videos were requested so this is what I was able to record in the garden after the lawnmower, the police car siren and when the hail started..

1st challenge verse & two things hit my mind running. 1: the words spoken OF Jesus by a voice from heaven: This is my son, listen to him - but the 3 watching this going on were just watching! They couldn’t hear what Jesus was saying to Moses etc. Can you listen with your eyes? Yes you can!body language at least and – Jesus was lit up, glorified, and that speaks volumes. 2.in a meeting today and one of the people there said something totally negative and I would usually get feminist angry - he was a man! I didn’t,thought of God say saying this is my son, & we moved on. Pray it & live it works!

Some years ago I heard a preacher describe leaving junk from our lives in the dustbin at the foot of the cross, and on its lid is a sign ‘NO FISHING’. We so easily take something to Jesus, but are tempted to go back over the same ground again. Don’t take back what you have handed over to The Lord.

Jesus is the One I cling to when I feel helpless, but I need to listen to Him more than I do. I need to set aside a time every day when I can read His words and listen to Him. That way, with His grace,my life will reflect His glory and make a difference in the community. The picture I have posted is of Watersmeet in Exmoor, Devon, one of my favourite places. The great power of the water as it noisily surges down the waterfall reminds me of the power of Jesus’ words in our lives if we open our hearts and minds to Him.

Last night I woke in the middle of the night and really felt God talking to me. He told me, “Leave all this stuff which is troubling you and causing you stress. Leave it at the bottom of the cross. Walk away from it all and get on with your life. I have other things for you to do.” I will not enlarge on the nature of what I must leave,but I know I must listen carefully to the voice of God. Today’s verse about listening confirmed what I “heard”.

Sometimes you can be so wrapped up in trying to solve your problems, you forget to listen to Jesus. Other times you hear what he says but you don’t like it!

I think that listening to Jesus is easier in the context of a home group. It gives me space to be quiet and listen. My friends support me so that I can understand what Jesus wants me to do.

How will we know if we are really listening to Jesus. Well, surely, the mark of the authentic listener to the Son, is that, like Moses, our faces, indeed our whole lives, will shine with the reflected glory of God.