Monday, March 9
Read: Psalm 81; Genesis 24:1-27; 2 John 1:1-13
There is a holy ache that runs through today’s scriptures—the ache of a God who longs to bless a people who will listen.
Psalm 81 opens with music, joy, and celebration. The tambourines are raised, the song is strong, the festival is alive. But the psalm does not end where it begins. The praise gives way to God’s own voice, and that voice carries sorrow. “I relieved your shoulder of the burden… but my people did not listen.” The tragedy here is not divine absence; it is divine neglect—and if we are honest, most of us recognize that pattern in our own lives. And still, the promise lingers: “If my people would only listen… I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.” Even now, God’s desire is not punishment, but provision—abundance drawn from the most unlikely places.
Genesis 24 gives us a living picture of what faithful listening looks like. Abraham’s servant is entrusted with a future-shaping task: finding a wife for Isaac. He stands at a well, far from home, aware that human effort alone will not be enough. So, he prays—not loudly, not dramatically, but honestly. He asks for guidance, then watches carefully—the way we do when a decision is waiting on us and silence fills the room. Rebekah’s kindness is not flashy or supernatural; it is practical, generous, and costly. She draws water again and again, serving without knowing the significance of her actions. In that ordinary faithfulness, the servant recognizes God’s answer. Scripture tells us that before he explains himself, before the journey is completed, he bows and worships. Listening leads to recognition. Recognition leads to gratitude.
The brief letter of 2 John brings urgency and focus. The elder reminds the church that truth and love are inseparable companions. Truth without love becomes rigid and cold. Love without truth drifts into sentimentality. Both require attentiveness—walking according to what God has already revealed. There are many voices, the letter warns, that distract, distort, and divide. Faithfulness is not about novelty; it is about remaining rooted in Christ.
Together, these readings ask us a searching question: Are we listening carefully enough to discern God’s guidance when it comes quietly—through prayerful waiting, through acts of kindness, through truth spoken in love? God is still speaking. God is still guiding. God is still offering honey from the rock. But listening demands humility, patience, and the courage to respond when clarity arrives.
May we be a people who listen—not only in moments of worship, but in decisions; not only in prayer, but in daily obedience. And when we recognize God’s hand at work, may we bow in gratitude and walk forward in truth and love.
Prayer:
Gracious God, quiet our hearts enough to hear your voice, strengthen us to walk in your truth, and teach us to respond in love wherever you lead.
Lemuel D. Gorden, III, MD is a physician with Alabama Pathology Associates and on the launch team of Pike Road United Methodist Church. He and his wife Josie are parents to Yvette Gorden, Huntingdon College’s All-American golfer.
