This morning I climbed a mountain and was enveloped by a cloud and a voice spoke from the cloud.

Not really.

But kind of.

This morning I climbed out of bed and opened up my Bible and words jumped off the page.

Really.

“This is my Son…. Listen to Him.” Matthew 17:5

The cloud and the voice interrupted Peter, who was talking without knowing what he was saying. Poor Peter. He was trying to do the right thing but said the wrong thing and finally figured out the best thing — he stopped talking and fell facedown to the ground.

My word for January has been listen. How kind of God to cut in before the month is over and remind me to whom I should be listening.

With so many voices, how can I possibly hear the still small voice of God among the clamor? This four step plan for listening to Him poured out of my pencil and into my journal this morning.

• Read Good News before being exposed to any other news. No checking the newsfeed until I’ve had time to feed on the Word of Truth. “Your word is truth.” John 17:17
• Pray before posting anything and hit delete if there are any qualms. “Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
• Spend time on my knees before standing up for my rights. “Do what is right, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
• Decide beforehand to agree with God, even when He disagrees with me. “But Lord, not what I want. What do You want?” Luke 22:42

Can I hear Him now?

“Listen to Him” recorded by Acapella way back in the 1990s.