We have a need for someone listen.
Psalms are expressions of a human heart crying out in need. The phrase “Listen to me” or “Listen, God” are used. We beg God to listen and pester our parents to ‘look at me! Listen to me! Watch me!’ We look for ways to find people to listen to us. We talk to doctors, dental hygienists, hair stylists, and our co-workers. We talk to people in line at the store.
We:
- think about what to say in front of others or at a job interview.
- watch what we say at work or in front of our bosses.
- careful what we say at church.
- don’t always listen.
Listening is skill we learn. It involves pausing our thought processes, what we doing, where we are going, stopping, looking, and paying attention. That isn’t something easy to do!
“I’m similar to a comet, heading in my own direction and not straying off course. It takes a large asteroid to knock me into a different path.”
It takes effort to really listen. Self-control is needed to stop and listen to others. It means we care more about a person than what we are doing.
We need to:
- listen to our kids and give them our full attention, at least once a day.
- listen to our significant others and really hear what they are saying.
- listen to the message at church, really listen, with the heart that intends to change what needs to change.
We need to listen to God.
- When does he speak? All the time.
- Where does he speak? Everywhere.
- To whom does he speak? Everyone. What does he speak about? Everything.
Because anywhere, anytime, for anyone about anything could be the one thing which causes us to slip, to take a wrong turn, to miss God’s leading.
What do I do next?
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
1 Peter 2:20-21 This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
Psalm 25:8-10 God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, Sends them in the right direction. He gives the rejects his hand, and leads them step-by-step. From now on every road you travel will take you to God. Follow the Covenant signs; Read the charted directions.
Psalm 26:2 Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I’m fit inside and out 3 so I never lose sight of your love, but keep in step with you, never missing a beat.
Psalm 37: 23-24 Stalwart walks in step with GOD; his path blazed by GOD, he’s happy. If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; GOD has a grip on his hand.
