"What?" You know you've done it; we all have. You heard what was said and answered "What?" anyway. The problem is, we do this to God more often than we would like to admit. We hear God speak, but we act like we didn't. Sometimes it isn't so much that we are rejecting what God is saying as maybe who or what he is using to say it. He may use his word, or a child. He may use a friend or a sermon.

He may speak through that still small voice or the reminder of a rainbow or a sunset. Naaman listened to God speak through a servant girl, a prophet's servant and his own servant and he was glad he did for it brought about a great healing for him. How do we tune our ears to hear God? Stop right now and ask God for three things: a listening ear, a teachable spirit and an open heart. Then look and listen for God is speaking.

She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." (2 Kings 5:3) The source God uses to speak to us is not nearly as important as our ability to hear him and obey.

Dr. William Burnham is a pastor at Point of Grace Church in Covington. He can be reached at burnhamw@charter.net.