Press the arrow to listen to “Jesus Is Above All” by Hillsong London as you read today’s devotion about prophetic ears.

Scripture

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing
Unless He reveals His secret counsel
To His servants the prophets.
lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? Amos 3:7-8

Observation
Amos lived in a shoe-box sized town but he had a widescreen view of the world. There was less to the town of Tekoa than met the eye. It was a place of grubby shepherds and smelly sheep. The freeway of life by passed it without an exit.

Amos, however, knew the world around him. Current events in far-flung cities were familiar to him. Even more, Amos knew God’s word in high definition vision. He could see through the headlines to see what God was up to.

Application
How did he do it? More importantly, how can we hear God as he did? His secret was this: while he worked he listened. Though he was just a shepherd and pruner of trees, he did not let his odd-job life keep him from seeing the big picture. He had confidence that God could speak to a man who was not the son of a prophet. He listened because he knew God speaks even to shepherds. And because he spoke what God told him, he was told even more.

I must work and listen. If God is to act he will speak to those who are listening and speaking for him. In the mundane events of life, I must listen for eternal things. Greater things are ahead for all of us, and before they come the prophets will hear them first. I want to be among them.

Prayer
Father, today, as I tend the sheep help me to hear what you are up to. And show me what to do with what I hear. Amen.