Listen!

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it, and the dry land, which His hands have formed. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!   7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. O that today you would listen to His voice!  Psalm 95:1-7

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.  Proverbs 19:20

19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.  James 1:19-20

God recently reminded me that I need to listen more!  I need to listen to Him and I also need to listen to others.  Since I enjoy talking, it is very easy for me to just talk and not always to listen well.  This is something that I really need to work on!

I think everyone will agree that we should listen to God!  God will give us direction and guidance, if we will just take the time to listen to Him!  But we should also give each other and ourselves the gift of listening to others.  First of all, we may learn something!  God speaks to us through His Bible and through others.  Also, when we listen to others, we make them feel important and worthwhile; everyone wants to be heard.

My church recently completed a study of the book “Life Together” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Here is a summary and paraphrase of some of his thoughts on “The Ministry of Listening”.  This was written to and for seminarians but it can apply to everyone:

The first service that we owe to others is to listen to them.  Just as love for God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for others is learning to listen to them.  It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear.  So it is His work that we do for others when we learn to listen to them.  Christians so often think they must always contribute something when they are with others and forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for someone to listen to them.  Many Christians are talking when they should be listening.  But he who can no longer listen long, patiently, and attentively to others will soon be no longer listening to God either.  Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and for others.

Some Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share.  We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.

So listen!  Listen to God and to others!  Not only will you be blessed but you will also be a blessing…and you may learn something too!

Dear God,

Thank You for Your many blessings!!!  Help me to always listen to You and to others!!!  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen