God will go to extremes to get your attention. We see examples of this throughout Scripture. With Moses, there was the burning bush incident (Ex.. 3:1-17). There was a time God gave Peter a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11). For Paul, it was on the road to Damascus when a light and a voice came down from heaven and blinded him (Acts 9:1-9). The woman at the well received a prophetic word from Jesus that shook her up, got her attention and allowed her to receive the message that Jesus was the Messiah (John 4:1-26).
When God wants to speak to us, He will do things to get our attention. If you will look back upon your life, you will remember times when God was trying to get your attention. Perhaps you were too distracted to hear Him, see it or know it.
God will try to get your attention, especially when you are traveling down the wrong path, or perhaps when you are in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. God will try to get your attention when He has a purpose and a call for your life that needs to be fulfilled. Moses was called to be the deliverer of the Hebrews out of Egypt. When God got his attention, he was far away from his call, tending sheep in the desert. God essentially told Moses, “Enough is enough. It is time to fulfill your call and get back to the job I designed you to do.”
God will do the same with us. There is a time He will say, “I have allowed you to continue this way for a long time, but no more. I need your attention. I need you to listen, and I need you to follow Me.”
Many people speak of God’s permissive will. I believe that God permits us through His grace to work and move in areas that are not best for us, but perhaps places where we can learn and finally come to the point where we will turn to Him.
I worked in the business world for a long time. One day I was driving down a small two-lane highway, headed to check on a business I owned. Suddenly, I heard an audible voice speak to me in the cab of my truck. It was so clear I can still hear the voice today. God said, “Ray, I have called you into the ministry.” It shook me up and surprised me, but I never forgot it.
Yes, God will go to extreme measures to get your attention. Our part is to know when God is trying to get our attention, listen to what He says and be obedient. Our Father loves us with all His heart. He often tried to speak to us all along the way, but we were too busy to hear, so He had to do something dramatic to get us to listen. Perhaps you need to repent and ask forgiveness because you know you’ve missed those God-moments. The good news is that our Savior is a Redeemer, and there is another chance to respond to God because you know He wants your attention and has great plans for you. {eoa}
Dr. Ray Self is the founder of Spirit Wind Ministries Inc. and the International College of Ministry. He holds a doctorate in Christian psychology and a doctorate in theology. He currently resides in Orlando, Florida. He is married to Dr. Christie Self and has three sons and a daughter.
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