Listen to God

By Richard

Mark 6: 14 – 29 records the death of John the Baptist. Herod had imprisoned him for calling his affair with Herodias “adultery”. Later, having watched Herodias’ daughter dance, euphoric (and probably inebriated), he offers to grant her any wish. After a quick consultation with mummy she replies that she’d like the head of John the Baptist to be served immediately on a platter.

Right in the middle of this story we find a rather intriguing line. “Convinced that [John] was a holy man he gave him special treatment. Whenever [Herod] listened to him he was miserable with guilt and yet couldn’t stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.” (Mark 6; 19 & 20, the Message).

It struck me how Herod never really listened to his heart. He never followed through on his obvious spiritual sensitivities. It got me wondering how many people out there in Madrid have spiritual sensitivities that they are not following through on. We need to pray for them. It got me thinking about the lives of believers, indeed, my own life. Are there things that God is saying to us, calling us to do, that we urgently need to hear is voice about and determine to follow through on?