Spiritual Lessons From Unemployment - Part 9: Hearing God

During this time of unemployment, I have heard God clearer than I have ever in my life.  So much so I'm worried about getting a job and being "rich" again and losing my new ability to hear. This experience really has me wondering how often I have missed God's voice or tuned him out through the years because I have been distracted by the demands of work, ministry, life, etc. I have always had a love hate relationship with preaching. I remember Dr. Livermore saying, "I hate to write. I love to have written." That is kind of how I feel about preaching. Except over this past year. Several times when I have had to preach or teach for church, seminar or retreat related things I heard so very clearly what I was to speak on -- crystal clear. In nearly every instance the response to my messages was overwhelmingly positive. I'm not a manuscript preacher, meaning I don't write out exactly everything I'm going to say. I generally have an outline where I have thought through the details of what I'll preach about and then there is a minor amount ad-libbing. So I'm never 100% confident of how it will all turn out. Except in recent times. I knew so confidently what I was to talk about I was nearly giddy as I went to the pulpit. Maybe it's coincidental that I'm hearing God better since I'm unemployed.  But maybe not.  It's got me thinking.