ARE YOU LISTENING?
Listening is a vital aspect of true conversation. If someone is so consumed with what
they want to say that they don’t listen to what others are saying, they may truly miss the
full potential and meaning of the conversation. Sometimes this can easily happen, and
we say more than we listen. My father used to say that God gave you two ears and one
mouth. Therefore, listen twice as much as you speak.
Having just come through the Christmas season, I was struck with some “What ifs?”
WHAT IF Mary hadn’t heard and listened to the voice of the angel?
WHAT IF Joseph hadn’t listened the voice of God in his dreams concerning Mary and
concerning the need to go to Egypt?
WHAT IF the shepherds hadn’t listened to the heavenly host of angels?
WHAT IF Simeon hadn’t heard the voice of the Holy Ghost when Mary and Joseph
brought the Baby Jesus to the temple?
WHAT IF the wise men hadn’t listened to the warning in the dream?
It would be a much different Christmas story if these people hadn’t listened. Indeed,
we might not even have a Christmas story!
God is speaking and we must always be careful in the hustle and bustle of life that we
don’t ignore or completely miss what He is speaking to us. Even when we read God’s
Word, we need to be sure we are “listening” to the enlightenment that can come from
the Lord.
When a mother listens to a cry, she not only knows her baby’s cry, but she also knows
what the cry means—hungry, tired, needing changed, pain, etc.
We endeavor to teach or children to listen. When they don’t listen to our instruction or
advice, we may become irritated, discouraged or exasperated. Teenagers often have
selective hearing. They hear what they want to hear but not always what they need to
hear. I pray I will never be guilty of selective hearing when it comes to the voice of God.
The Lord listens to our cry. He wants to speak to us and commune with us. I don’t want
my prayers to be all one-sided, but I want to stop and listen to the voice of the Lord each
and every day. Am I tuned into the Spirit 24/7 or does something dramatic have to
happen to grab my attention and force me to listen? (Remember Saul on the road to
Damascus.)
Lord, help me to listen faithfully and continually for your guidance, instruction,
encouragement and correction. It will make all the difference to my relationship with
the King of Kings. Although He is the Creator of the universe, He still cares about me
and wants to commune with me. What an honor! What a joy! What a privilege!
In 2025, LISTEN . . . God is speaking! Let us LISTEN and OBEY!
By Jerolyn Kelley