Click for an EF Hutton commercial
If you were a TV watcher back in the late 70’s you may remember a broker by the name of EF Hutton. Do you remember the tag line for the commercials?
“When EF Hutton talks, people listen.”
There were a number of commercials in the series, all with the same concept: two people talking about investments; one would indicate what his broker was saying then the other would reply,
“Well, my broker is EF Hutton, and EF Hutton says…”
At that point in the commercial whatever was going on in the crowd surrounding the two primary characters would come to a complete halt. Everyone would stand still to listen to what EF Hutton had to say.
Brilliant!
In a very simple fashion you got the message that EF Hutton knew what he was talking about and you would do yourself a favour to listen.
Do you believe God speaks? Jesus said in John 10 that His sheep know His voice and listen to Him. We need to choose to listen to Him. One of the ways we do this is through listening prayer – not simply presenting a litany of requests we want God to respond to, but to draw near to Him to listen; to hear His voice, His heart for us and for others.
We can also fine tune our hearts to be listening to Him whatever we are doing. To be aware God speaks to us far more than we may realize. Reminders, affirmations, encouragements, checks in our spirit, conviction, validation, confirmation, direction, can all come from God at any time in the day.
When God speaks it’s a game changer – way more profound and powerful than EF Hutton. But are we listening? And then, do we care enough about what God says to write it down so we don’t forget?
I was taught to write down what I wanted to remember. My mentors all taught me to care enough about the Word of God to write it down. I was always encouraged to take a notebook and pen, with my Bible, to any meeting. And, no matter wherever I was to have a notebook and pen with me – in the car, on my bedside table, in my briefcase – to be ready to make note of what God may whisper to me.
You know why that’s important? Because we forget.
What God says is noteworthy, we would be wise to make note of it.
We are often encouraged in scripture to remember what the Lord has said to us and done for us. In fact the appointed festivals for Israel were to remember what God had done. God’s people were also often chastised for not remembering.
So, how do you choose to remember?
Do you keep a journal? If not, why not?
Do you never forget? Can you at will remember all that God has said to and done for you? Or, do you not care enough to remember – it’s not that important to you?
I have to confess that I fall into the latter category. How often has the Lord whispered to me and I enjoy it in the moment and then forget to write it down? I had something more important to do…
There is another element to that: we can write down in our journal what the Lord is saying to us, and then never look at it again. We never review it. Out of sight, out of mind…
Guilty on that one too.
I sat down the other night and reviewed what I had written in my journal over the last couple years and was amazed at all I had forgotten. Wow, what an encouragement, but when was the last time I did that?
Let’s take a tip from the old EF Hutton commercial: when God talks let’s listen. Let’s care enough to write it down in a journal. Then, let’s ensure we take the time to review our journals on a regular basis. If we fail to remember, we choose to fail.
How will you choose to remember?
Don’t forget to remember.
Nehemiah 9:17a
“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them.”
Psalm 63:6-8
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.”
Deuteronomy 4:9
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”