The Breakthrough Moment with Rev. Bernese Shaw - "Take the Mute Off..." (2/8/2012)

Isaiah 50:4b-5 Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. NRSV


On these Wednesday Morning Pray Calls, some of us put our telephone on mute to keep down sounds of our surroundings and to ensure that distracting noises will not be heard during the call. Sometimes in life when we don't want to hear something, we might put mute on our hearing and understanding of the word of God. But the focus scripture tells us that each morning Our Lord Our God wakes us up that is to say morning by morning he wakens us - each morning Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wakes us up to be followers of the most High King, to be able to function and to carry out our daily task and this indeed is a gift to each one of us. The old Saints would say He woke me up this morning clothed in my right mind able to talk and walk. Lord, I am so thankful. He didn't have to do it but He did, Lord I am so thankful. I am able to open my eyes and look to Thee with thanksgiving in my heart. Lord, I am so thankful. Each day that I am wakened is a gift from God, Lord I am so thankful. Each day that you are wakened, you should spend a few quiet moments thanking our Father that He has given us another day. Each day you should spend quiet time with the Lord and when you spend a quiet moment with the Lord, you are reminded of God's love for each one of us, His protection and His commandments because He didn't have to wake us up for another day but because of His grace and mercy, He did it, Lord we are so thankful. And as we start our day, we should align our day with the teaching and the commandments that the Lord has given to each one of us. Each one of us should open our ears to the Lord to hear his gentle whisper of words like the flowing of water in a stream. The Lord tells us in Isaiah 41:13 I hold you by your hand - I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, "Don't be afraid. I am here to help you." Lord, I am so thankful. So whatever we are going to face on this new day that we have never seen and will never see again, the Lord is there holding us by our hand helping us, Lord I am so thankful. Psalm 84:11 says The Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Lord, I am so thankful. Sometimes the demands of life cause us to rush from place to place with no time to spare so we fail to pause and thank our Creator for waking us up and for all of His gifts that He has given us; we neglect to give proper thanks to the Father because of our misplaced priorities. No matter what we are going through (no job, trouble in our homes, trouble in school, trouble on our jobs, more bills than money, sickness, even as our loved ones are nearing the close of their walk on this journey), we still should pause each day to give thanks to our Heavenly Father remembering that God is our refuge and strength and He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. Psalm 28:7 says The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Lord, I am so thankful. During our day when our integrity is put to the test we can rejoice because when we run into problems and disappointments, God's word has already told us that He is there with us; all we have to do is open our ears and listen to the words of Our Lord. The Lord has already told us that He is there with us and we should not be rebellious but stand on His promises, stand on the word of God. For we know that our problems and disappointments help us develop endurance; and endurance develops strength of character that strengthens our confidence in hope of salvation (Romans 5:3-4). God is working in each one of us giving each one of us strength, the desire and the power to do what pleases him, Lord, I am so thankful. This morning, give thanks to the Giver of all good things that is God. His love for us is eternal and it's never too soon or too late to offer Him thanks. We are showered with blessings not because of anything we have or have not done, but simply because of Him and His grace and mercy. Despite of our shortcomings, God sent His Son so that we might be redeemed from our sins. Lord, I am so thankful. In doing so, our Heavenly Father demonstrated His infinite mercy and His infinite love. We have received countless gifts from God, but none can compare with the gift of salvation; the giving of His Son. Lord, I am so thankful. God's grace is the ultimate gift and we owe Him the ultimate in thanksgiving. So Morning by morning as he wakens each and every one of us, I pray that we are wakened to listen as ones who are being taught by the word of God. That the Lord GOD has opened our ears, and we will not be rebellious, we will not turn backward in our daily walk with God (turn away from God's teaching).

Because of this - this morning it is time to take the mute off of our lives and to give God praise. It is time to take the mute off of our praises of God and let him know how thankful we are. It is time to take the mute off of our worship and honor God with our words and actions. It is time to take the mute off of giving ourselves in our daily walk with God. It is time to take the mute off of our going and coming in our fellowship of one another in the name of God Almighty. It is time to take the mute off because The Lord Our God has awakened us this morning, this day and has given us another opportunity to walk humbly as a child of one who was, as a child of one who is, and a child of one who is to come, Lord I am so thankful. So my brothers and sisters take the mute off to the teaching of the Lord and you can do this by having daily meditations with the Lord, daily reading of God's Holy Words - the Holy Bible and trying to live by the commandments that have already been given to us. The Contemporary English Version Bible gives our focus scripture as Each morning he awakens me eager (excited) to learn his teaching; he made me willing to listen and not rebel or run away. And, the Good News Translation gives our focus scripture as Every morning he makes me eager (excited) to hear what he is going to teach me. The Lord has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled (will not, shall not) or turned away from him.

I pray that this will be the meditation for each one of us today. It is time to take the mute off of our understanding and take mute off of our praises of the Lord. Because when we do, God's Word tells us we will understand and know that He is there with us no matter what comes our way today, this day that He has awakened us in. Take the mute off of our listening as one who has been taught of the understanding and loving of our Heavenly Father. It is time to take the mute of our hearing and teaching of what our God is saying to each one of us and not go back to our old sinful ways. Let all of God's Children this morning say: Amen. Amen. Amen.