Stop! Look! Listen!

"This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6: 16 NIV)

The formula to "stop, look, and listen" is taught to many people. Children are taught it and use it when they come to a street crossing. Mothers have told children to stop, look, and listen BEFORE they cross the street. The same formula is taught to automobile drivers. They too do well to practice this formula when they drive or come to a crossroads.

This same formula or prescription is found in the word of God. In the opening verse above, the prophet calls upon the people to "stand at the crossroads." This is of course what men do when they come to a place where two or more ways cross. To "stand" in the above verse means to stop and be still, and not to move. Then the next thing to do is to "look" and ask for directions and help.

Surely there are times in every person's life when he must stop everything and become quiet and still, especially when he is at a proverbial "crossroads" or "turning point" in life.

Just as Solomon said that there is a proper "season" and "time" to "every purpose" (or 'activity') "under heaven," such as a "time to be be born" and a "time to die." So too is there a time in life when people need to become still, to stop what they are doing, and then to "look" and "listen," or to fully "pay attention," before proceeding further. (See Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8)

"Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land. Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say." (Isaiah 28: 22, 23 NIV)

Notice how the prophet first tells the people to "stop," to "stop mocking." Next he warns them of dangers, which call for alertness or for one to be "on the lookout." Then, the prophet says one should "listen" and "pay attention." Again, it is the idea of stopping, and looking, and listening, or of paying attention, before one proceeds.

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." (Psalm 4: 4 KJV)

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46: 10 KJV)

"Be still!" Stop moving around! Stop your inner agitation of soul!

"For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD..." (Isaiah 32: 6 NIV)

Sinners indeed are busy in their minds with evil dreams and intentions. What they ought to do is "stop" those thoughts, to quiet them, and in stillness listen to the voice of God. When one is able, by divine grace, to "still" his soul in the midst of an agitated and troubled state, and to hear the voice of God, and the voice of conscience, the voice of scripture and truth, he is then able to enter into a state of communion with one's true self and with God, and which has blessed results. Such a person emerges from this quiet time of soul with greater knowlege and insight into themselves and into God.

"Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God." (Psalm 83: 1 KJV)

Thus, to be "still" includes the idea of being silent. Oh that we all could learn when we need to keep silent before the Lord! To know when to stop talking and when to just listen carefully to what the Lord and our consciences are telling us.

"For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still." (Job 30: 7 KJV)

So too is our "strength" is often to "sit still" at times in life! There is an old hymn that says - "leave it alone, it will work itself out." Oh how we need wisdom to know when to move and when to sit still!

Many times people try to "work things out" or "figure things out," in their own wisdom and power, trying to save themselves, when all they really need to do is stop and still themselves for awhile. There is another Christian hymn that captures this idea when its lyrics say -

"Steal Away. (in the midnight hour) Steal Away. (when you need some power) Steal Away.(when you heart is heavy) Steal Away to Jesus. (steal away to jesus) Steal Away. (steal away home) Steal Away home. (haven't got long) I haven't got long to stay here."

We ought not to go to Egypt for help when we need to go to the Lord.

"I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once." (Isaiah 42: 14 KJV)

It is not always the case that one should be still, for there is a time to move, and to work, and to busy ourselves. We still ourselves before the Lord so that we can be equipped to move for him.

"Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD." (Jeremiah 8: 14 KJV)

Sometimes we stop to ponder and consider things in the wrong place. There is both a time and place for the soul to get quiet and still, and to commune with itself and with the Lord. Certainly the house of God, and one's resting bed, are both pointed to as places where one ought to practice this inner stillness of spirit, and where the soul learns to stop and to simply let the Lord lead it. Oftentimes, when one is suffering the gall and bitterness that results from sin, the thing that soul needs to do is to "steal away" from everyone, find a quiet place, and there be still before the Lord, and to listen to what he says.

"Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19: 27 NIV)

"Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" (Isaiah 30: 8-11 NIV)

Here are cases where one stops what he ought not to stop. Wisdom is truly needed to know when, and when not, and to stop. Also, to know what it is that needs to be stopped, versus what does not need stopping. We ought not to stop listening to God and to wisdom.

"Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong." (Isaiah 1: 16 NIV)

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" (Isaiah 2: 22 NIV)

The bible is full of such declarations. It tells men to stop doing certain things. Yet, men keep right on doing them. Truly, divine grace is needed to help a man stop doing what he is addicted to doing. God says to us, in regard to many of our activities, - "stop it"! The exhortation is that simple. Yet, we are taught how difficult it can be to stop something once it has begun and once it has progressed and increased in speed.

"No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?" (Isaiah 44: 19 NIV)

No one "stops to think"! How true of so many today! Especially regarding the state of their soul before God! So many do not "stop to think" about their lives, nor about what they are doing, nor about where they are going. So many do not think deeply about what they do religiously either.

"I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers." (Ezekiel 16: 41 NIV)

"So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore." (Ezekiel 23: 27 NIV)

You can either repent now, make a decision to stop sinning, by the grace and power of God, or you can expect the Lord one day to "put a stop to it." If you stop it now, in coming to Christ, in faith and repentance of sin, then the above words will not apply to you. They apply to all those sinners who did not stop their course and their evil doings. God says to sinners - "you stop it or I'll put a stop to it."

"Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (John 5: 14 NIV)

That says it very simply, summing up all that the prophets before Jesus had said to sinners.

"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered." (John 6: 43 NIV)

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." (John 7: 24 NIV)

"Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20: 27 NIV)

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13: 10 NIV)

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (Romans 14: 13 NIV)

"Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults." (I Corinthians 14: 20 NIV)

All sorts of things to "stop" doing! We need to take heed to all of them.

"With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!" (II Peter 2: 14 NIV)

"The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk." (Revelation 9: 20 NIV)

Here are people who were commanded to stop, but who kept right on going in their wicked ways. They should have rather stilled themselves, but they kept on busying themselves with the sinful deeds. They cannot and they will not stop it.

"And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop." (I Corinthians 14: 30 NIV)

Not only should we know when to stop, and when to go, spiritually speaking, in regard to sin, but we also need to know when to stop talking, having good social and spiritual skills. The above words were given to the church as advice on how to conduct their church services, how each one should know when to stop talking and when to allow others to speak.

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many." (Isaiah 51: 1, 2 NIV)

Not only should we stop in life, to get still and quiet, and to cease our wickedness, but we also need, at those times, to "look" and to "listen." In this looking we need to know what to look for, and to exercise care and caution. We tell children and drivers to always look "both ways."

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." (Ephesians 5: 15 NIV)

To "walk circumspectly" means to look all around, to get a full and complete view, from every angle and direction. This is the kind of looking that we ought to do when at the crossroads, when we have stopped, and when have gotten still before the Lord. We need to be looking for the good, and "looking out for" the bad.

"You are looking only on the surface of things." (II Corinthians 10: 7 NIV)

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also (look) to the interests of others...For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2: 4, 21 NIV)

"We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else." (I Thessalonians 2: 6 NIV)

"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6: 40 NIV)

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says...Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1: 21, 23-25 NIV)

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5: 8 NIV)

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance." (Proverbs 1: 5 NIV)

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." (Proverbs 1: 8 NIV)

"But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (Proverbs 1: 33 NIV)

"Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many...My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words." (Proverbs 4: 10, 20 NIV)

"Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right." (Proverbs 8: 6 NIV)

"The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." (Proverbs 12: 15 NIV)

"He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise." (Proverbs 15: 31 NIV)

"A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue." (Proverbs 17: 4 NIV)

"He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame." (Proverbs 18: 13 NIV)

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." (Proverbs 19: 20 NIV)

"Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19: 27 NIV)

"A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever." (Proverbs 21: 28 NIV)

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong." (Ecclesiastes 5: 1 NIV)

"It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7: 5 NIV)

"These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction." (Isaiah 30: 9 NIV)

"Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9: 7 NIV)

"The large crowd listened to him with delight." (Mark 12: 37 NIV)

"Therefore consider carefully how you listen." (Luke 8: 18 NIV)

"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10: 16 NIV)

"It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me." (John 6: 45 NIV)

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10: 16 NIV)

"They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood." (I John 4: 5-7 NIV)

What important words for us as respects our "looking" and "listening"! God help us to follow this simple formula in spiritual things, in our daily lives. Let us learn to "stop, look, and listen." Let us learn to be quiet and still upon our beds and in our hearts. Let us look to the Lord to aid us in doing this, in stopping when we ought to stop, in looking as we ought to look, and to listen and pay attention as we ought to do.

Friend, will you stop today and commune with your heart? Will you be still and quiet and seek the Lord in that place of inner solitude?