Learn His Voice

I climbed one day to a mountaintop,
To a place apart and high,
And I said, "My Lord is with me here.
I can find Him if I try."

I called "Lord" for I had declared,
Like Peter did that day,
"Thou art the Christ, the Son of God,
The Light, the Truth, the Way!"

This I believed, or thought I did.
Yet others could not see
What He is like or how He loves
By knowing Him through me.

As on this hill I climbed with Him,
Transfigured He became!
His face did shine bright as the sun
And I--was clothed in shame.

"It is good to be here," I did cry.
"I'll prove my love for You."
Frantically I tried to think
Of something I could do.

"I'll build a tabernacle to Thy name."
My deeds would draw me near Him.
But then I heard the voice of God:"
"This is my Son, oh, hear Him."

The tabernacles I have built!
The shallow life I live,
Checking off my works, my jobs,
Proud of what I give!

And all the time I've missed the point,
Like Peter on that hill.
I've tried to do before I've heard,
Before I've listened, still.

"This is my Son, please hear Him now."
Listen, listen, you--

And after you have learned His voice

Then be, and know, and do.

Tabernacles that I build! Tabernacles that crumble and fall, all because I did not stop and listen, because I did not seek His will, or know His purpose, or ask His use of my energy, my abilities, my efforts, to build for Him-not a tabernacle, but a life of joyous faith and love and righteousness in the Kingdom of God. Right here, right now, I would like to remind you of those very common tabernacles that I have built. Maybe you build them too. They are not useless, crumbling things in themselves-no, not at all. They become useless to the Master simple because we do not truly hear Him in our frantic feverish efforts to built. ~Mary Lou Lacy..."a Woman wants God."