In the Song of Solomon, the bride says, “I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling”’ (Song 5:2). In a similar way, God reaches out to us. He is speaking, knocking, and seeking entrance to our lives.
Unfortunately, our restless hearts are prone to wander, and our minds are distracted by the many voices competing for attention. Do you ever pull away from the clamor and try to distinguish the sound of the Beloved knocking and calling?
Jesus said that His sheep know His voice (John 10:4), but that recognition is gained through a lifelong habit of listening. In Psalm 46:10 (NIV), we are admonished to be still and know that the Lord is God. To do this, we must first shut out the noisy distractions of this world. Elijah is a good example—while standing on Mount Sinai, he expected God’s presence would be in the wind, fire, and earthquake, but nothing happened until it was quiet. Then he heard a voice.
We must develop the habit of settling ourselves in order to hear the Lord. Can we say to our Bridegroom that our hearts are quietly listening, even when we sleep?