#Familyroadtrip is upon us! Throughout the month of August we will be doing church a little differently. We will be emphasizing families and the everyday nature of our relationship with God. This past Sunday we discovered God’s desire to be heard and communicated with. I love the way the message phrases Proverbs 3:6 “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” God desires to speak to us today. He is our heavenly father and wants to have a relationship with you.

We all know the importance of staying by our father or parents, when we are on a trip. Think about it, when you go to the amusement park, a walking trail or a even a supermarket; the words of wisdom are stay by your parents. When you get separated from them, you know their voices. You immediately return!

When I was younger, I used to get separated from my parents from time to time. To return I would stand still, close my eyes and listen. I was listening for my dad’s characteristic laugh, my sister’s scream, my mom’s teacher voice. Why? Because I wanted to find my way back home.

Spending time with my family taught me their voice and distinctive sounds. Just as we can learn the distinctive sounds of our earthly family, we can learn God’s distinctive voice. Each day we live we have an opportunity to spend time with our heavenly father learning to hear his voice in our lives. We can trust him to lead us daily everywhere that we are and in everything that we do. How? You might ask. It is by developing a daily time investing in the relationship. Adam and Eve learned God’s voice walking in the cool of the day with him, Samuel learned God’s voice while caring for God’s temple, David while caring for his father’s sheep. The list goes on and on, but the one thing that they all share is that they invested their time in training themselves to hear God’s voice. They wanted to experience his fullness in the ordinary parts of their lives. In a way, they turned ordinary moments into an extraordinary experience by inviting God in. They simply enjoyed his presence. We too can have this fellowship with God. We have every opportunity, but will we take it? Will we invite God into our daily lives? We have an opportunity as we lie in bed before the kids get up, as we drive to work, as we prepare lunches for the day, as we have our first cup of coffee, as we mow our lawn or care for our gardens. Time abounds throughout the day for asking him into our lives.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

    he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.

    Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

    your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

    give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst,

    your wine vats will brim over.

But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;

    don’t sulk under his loving correction.

It’s the child he loves that God corrects;