Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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Published: 26 October 2017

• Called to Listen

Week 6: Listening through the five senses

Not Even a Hint of Smoke

Week 6, Day 4

Smell is one of our strongest memory senses: fresh baked cookies at Grandma’s house, honeysuckle in Louisiana each spring, and the air pollution in Caracas. Each of these smells brings back special memories and triggers all the emotions associated with each one.
Listening to God through the smells of nature is an obvious way to listen through our sense of smell. Paul compares his visit from Epaphroditus and the gifts sent by the Philippians to a fragrant offering, like the sacrifices the Israelites made to God (Phil. 4:18, ESV).
18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. What do we offer to the Lord that is like a fragrant offering before Him?

How are His words like a fragrant offering to you?

One of the most powerful stories in which we hear God’s answer, evidenced by the sense of smell, is found in Daniel 3. I
encourage you to read the entire chapter before I highlight a few specific portions of the story for our listening exercise today.
Any notes from Daniel 3?

After refusing to bow down to the golden statue, we see the response of the three Jewish servants of God in Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV).
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Wow! What faith! But this is not where our story ends, nor is it the focus of our listening today.
Daniel 3:26-27 (ESV)
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.

Campfires, fire pits, bonfires, even a barbeque grill... no matter how far away I sit from the actual flames of the fire or from the smoke, my clothes and my hair always smell of smoke after a few brief moments. Yet for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, “No smell of fire had come upon them.”
What was God’s message for everyone that day, evidenced through the sense of smell? (Or as heard by Nebuchadnezzar, seen in his decree, Dan. 3:28-29?)

God’s power is unrivaled. And His ability to save uncompro-mised, no matter what the circumstances. May that truth be a fragrant offering and encouraging reminder for you today.

Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening through the sense of smell:

We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.

This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.

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Published: 25 October 2017

• Called to Listen

Week 6: Listening through the five senses

We are Always Listening to Something

Week 6, Day 3

My dad was plagued with a severe ear infection that suddenly and without warning turned into meningitis, sepsis, and pneumonia. He was in the hospital for a week, and then continued on IV antibiotics for ten days. During that time, and for a few more weeks following, his right ear was totally blocked. Since he could hear no outside noise, his brain filled in the gap by providing its own soundtrack.
For about a month, dad heard full orchestral music, big band music, and an occasional oldie from back in the day. The song he always came back to was Rhapsody in Blue by George Gersh-win—a great song and a classic, catchy tune. We joked that it was a good thing he only listened to good music because what he “heard” during that time came from his brain, not from the sound waves we use in order to normally process sound.

As I reflected on this phenomenon, I realized, we are always listening to something, even if it is just the voice in our own head. There is no such thing as total silence. If we are in a quiet envi-ronment, our brains will compensate and our thoughts will bring their own “noise” to the moment.

Today, we will listen through our sense of hearing, but we will listen through silence.
Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8 (ESV)
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

Habakkuk 2:20 (ESV)
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.

Revelation 8:1 (ESV)
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

We have become more practiced at listening through silence... I challenge you to listen for a half hour in silence. Picture yourself entering His holy temple and keeping silence before Him during that time. You may even sing the song inspired by the verse in Habakkuk, as you enter into the time of silence.

Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening through the sense of hearing:

We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.

This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.