LISTENING TO GOD’S WORD

“Take care how you listen…” – Luke 8:18

Hearing God's voice requires one major thing: LISTENING to the WORD: “Take care how you listen…” (Lk.8:18a). To listen is to pay attention, heed or hearken: “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you LISTEN to the commandments of the LORD your God…” (Dt. 28 : 13a NIV). The words you listen to determine the climate of your life, the direction in which it goes, and the results you get (Psa.1: 1-3). The words you listen to will build you up or tear you down, increase your faith or decrease it (Pro.6:2). Words are powerful. They determine your outlook and approach to life. Yet, making time to sit still can be a challenge in our super-busy world. It is hard to get quiet and even harder to stay that way.

You must take heed how you listen, because in today’s world “Fear sells”! Day after day we watch on TV, and listen to bad news in real time: earthquake hits Haiti; tens of thousands of migrants drown in the Mediterranean; millions are hungry and homeless in war-torn Syria; oil spill pollutes the Gulf of Mexico and devastates marine life; terrorist blows up self and tens of tourists; on and on. Mainstream and social media milk each moment and sensationalize events to increase their ratings, sell advertising, and make money. If in this day and age you don’t select what you listen to, you can lose your peace of mind. God’s Word asks, “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isa.53:1). The “arm of the Lord” refers to His power to deliver and His providential care over every event in our lives. So whose report will you listen to, internalize, and respond to?

Beloved, it matters who and what you’re listening to. God desires that you listen to His Word for guidance, instruction, and direction. When you keep listening to people whose opinions don't line up with God's Word and will, you will be frustrated and stagnated. Listening demands being humble, teachable, and learning to be quiet (1The.4:11). Whoever is not teachable is not usable. Majority opinion can be useful in trivial matters, but when a God-given vision is the issue, you must learn to be quiet and to listen for God's guidance first and foremost. Prayer is simply talking to God and taking time to listen to what He has to say to you.

Getting to know God means walking with Him, spending time in His Word, getting to know His flawless character and the countless testimonies of His unfailing love illustrated in His promises and deeds. It means praying, talking, sharing all the details of your life and the inner workings of your heart. He knows them all already, but He enjoys the intimacy of conversation. And like any balanced relationship, it cannot be a monologue – you doing all the talking! You must make time to listen, to come before the Lord and get quiet, by silencing the noise of your thoughts and the rush of your emotions. Fear is based on what you see, listen to and hear in the world. Faith is based on knowing that God's Word is reliable and delivers sure promises to those who believe Him for them!

God Himself is a Listener: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them…” (Mal.3:16a). We also are meant to be effective listeners. John 14:26 says, “The Holy Spirit...will teach you all things.” The Holy Spirit will interact with us. Our questions don't bother God if they come from a hungry heart: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find” (Mt.7:7). God doesn't want us to be passive and just accept everything that comes our way. He wants us to question Him so that we can find clarity and direction. He wants to teach us how to live; to show up every day for class and not just once in a while. It means listening intently. Listen and Live!