Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7 NASB) Do not quench the Spirit. (I Thessalonians 5:19 NASB)

It does not matter whether you at the grocery store, at church, at Wal-Mart or wherever you will see and hear people talking on cell phones. Even at funerals you will now sometimes hear the sound of a ringing cell phone! For some this is just added convenience making life more pleasant and enjoyable. For others it is a major irritation.

For those who are irritated by ringing cell phones there is a new device which promises to relieve them. This device is able to block cell phones from receiving signals within a designated area where it is used. With this device a store, school, or church could be cell phone free. It is not yet available in the United States.

Spiritually many are free of hearing God's Voice. God is speaking but they have learned how to tune Him out. They simply harden their hearts and refuse to hear what God wants to say to them. Some come to church every Sunday and read their Bibles every day but still do not hear God speak because of their hard hearts.

Others have a different spiritual problem because they have no trouble hearing what God says. So if they hear what is the problem? The problem is that they refuse to do what God says. They “quench” the Spirit.

I believe God is saying to many today “please listen for I am speaking to your heart and here's what I want you to do....”

Are you listening? Did you hear? Will you obey?

Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Used with Permission. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.