“Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. – Numbers 20:8, 11

Do you ever hear without listening? Maybe you’ve heard the words that were spoken to you, but failed to understand their meaning. A very simple example of this would be turning on a foreign language TV or radio station. You can listen all day long, but you’ll never hear the intended message!

When God speaks to us, it’s very important that we not only hear His voice but to listen to what He’s telling us. In the verses above, you see a clear command from God: “Speak to that rock.” Yet what does Moses do? He strikes the rock. Twice! Talk about missing the message. And as a result of this failure to really hear God’s command, Moses wasn’t allowed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Now, maybe Moses was confused. After all, in Exodus 17:6, God did command Moses to strike a rock to receive water for the people. Which is why it is so important that we listen carefully to what God is telling us.

It’s worth noting that while Moses failed to follow the Lord’s command explicitly, God was still faithful to His commitment. He still poured out water from the rock. God is always faithful to His word. You and I need to focus on listening to His word as we hear to His voice.

Prayer Challenge: Pray that you will be able to listen to God’s voice…and that you clearly understand His command to you in every situation in life. 

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