Hearing God with Muppets

We finally watched The Muppets: Most Wanted! with all the kids the other day.  It was awesome.  I
grew up on the Muppets and so I love seeing them kept alive for our kids too!

Plus, and most importantly, they did several albums with John Denver.  That raises anyone to awesome status.

In the movie Kermit is imprisoned and replaced by a Russian imposter known as Constantine.  All the other muppets think it is Kermit with a cold.  I kept thinking, "How can they miss the fact that he has an "out-of-nowhere" Russian accent?! 

Ok, it's a Muppet movie, right?  So, you have to suspend some reality.

But here's where it was even more nonsensical: The imposter Kermit not only didn't sound like Kermit, but he didn't act like him either.  He kept saying "Vatever you want!" and "I can give you vhat you vant!"  He was rude, mean, and snarky.  If the Muppets didn't catch the accent, how did they miss how oddly Kermit was acting?

This is what it's like when trying to hear God.  When you know him, it's not so hard to recognize what he's like when he's interacting with you. 

So, when you're trying to determine if God is telling you something, ask yourself, "Is this how my Father would act toward me?" 

For example, if I have an impression that I should do something, but it makes me feel frightened or threatened if I don't, then I know it's not my Father.  He knows how to motivate me and those are not ways that work.  Instead, when it's him I find I am excited to a degree, even if it's something that seems intimidating.  Somehow I feel courage that I didn't expect.

I also know my Father isn't pushy.  Like the father in the prodigal son is patient, so is my Dad.  If I'm unsure about something he might be asking me to do, I know that if I put it off, I can trust that he'll keep nudging me gently, if it's what he wants.

So, keep getting to know your Shepherd.  As you learn his heart and how he works with you, you can begin to find out how to hear his voice more clearly.