Speaking vs. listening

Thanks everybody for checking out the blog, and for those of you who have carried the convertsation forward. I'm gathering you don't have to sign up to post a comment so go to it. I do like it when you become a follower so I know who's committing to the daily reading. If you've been reading through Isaiah 40, what's your take so far. Pretty cool passage eh?

Already when I was working on the passage for last Sunday's message I had been struck by how often there was a reference to speaking and the human voice in the first 11 verses. Vs. 2 says speak tenderly, vs. 3 says, "a voice is calling..."; vs. 6 a voice is urging someone to speak again, vs. 9 extols the one who makes the big declaration, "Here is your God!" The second half of the chapter is quite different. There's no announcement theme nor an invitation to speak. Rather, there's the sentiment that its time to sit and listen. Especially if you look at vs. 21 and vs. 28, which are a kind of refrain you get the feeling that if you are willing to slow down and reflect a little you'll have a better sense of what God is up to. Or conversely, if you are not willing to listen its unlikely you'll have anything to say but the complaint of vs. 27 - God doesn't hear us, boo-hoo!

Funny eh? That's what we're trying to do on this blog. Sit and listen with a daily reading of the passage, and then post your comments and speak your mind.