On my return home from a long hike in the mountains, I passed the plastic newspaper box in the attached image. I was drawn to the box, realizing the Lord was getting my attention for a reason.

A couple of old newspapers were stacked inside along with pine needles, pinecones, and a leaf or two. It was obvious no one had picked up their newspapers for a long time. While standing in front of the old newspapers, the Lord began to speak. 

For those who look at the Church from the outside, we can resemble the old newspapers in the box. We can get comfortable and settle into a previous revelation and forget that with God, a life of faith is new every morning. God is always releasing a new sound that carries the potential to change hardened hearts and shift the trajectory of culture. But first, we must be willing to clear out our prophetic inbox and make it ready for a fresh expression of the Good News.

In the coming days, expect to hear something new from the Lord. These words will carry the power to shift the environment of a family, a business, and culture. Just like it was for young Samuel hearing the voice of the Lord for the first time, this sound of revelation will be, quite possibly, unusual and even strange to our ears.  

Something new and news-worthy is about to be delivered to our spiritual address. In preparation for that delivery, the Lord wants to reach into the box of our lives and remove whatever we are allowing to remain that is old and out of date. If we give Him permission to remove the old in preparation for the new, we will hear things that will dramatically change our lives and the lives of those who hear the sound of our voice.