Listen—Two2Grow, Wednesday, September 16
Listen—Two2Grow, Wednesday, September 16
“While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.” Jeremiah 7:13 NIV
There is a story I love about a young boy who passed by a house where a group of adults were outside and looked upset. The child asked what was going on and found out that the owner of the house had lost their expensive mechanical watch and couldn’t find it. They had all been inside, turning the house upside down, but to no avail. The boy told them that he would find it, but he needed to be left alone in the house. The adults laughed at him. But he was persistent, and finally they allowed him in. After a short while, the boy came back with a triumphant smile, holding the watch in his hand. Everyone was astonished and asked him, “How did you do it?” “Simple,” the boy answered. “I just sat quiet and listened for the tick-tock.”
I’m sure this story can be retold in several ways, but the main point stays the same: the importance of being quiet and being attentive to the Lord.
We don’t want God to tell us what He told His people in today’s verse: “I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen.”
Many times, we get tricked into thinking that if something is very important, God will shout. But that’s not necessarily so. God often whispers very important things, and if we are too busy making noise, we won’t hear them.
So let’s prioritize making time to listen to the Lord. Prayer isn’t always talking to God; it is also about taking time to wait and focus our attention on the Lord so that we can hear from Him. That isn’t easy for those of us who tend to focus on doing, but it is a discipline to learn that will bring great rewards in the end.
Father, I want to know and do Your will. Help me make room for You today so that I can listen to what You are telling me. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
There is a story I love about a young boy who passed by a house where a group of adults were outside and looked upset. The child asked what was going on and found out that the owner of the house had lost their expensive mechanical watch and couldn’t find it. They had all been inside, turning the house upside down, but to no avail. The boy told them that he would find it, but he needed to be left alone in the house. The adults laughed at him. But he was persistent, and finally they allowed him in. After a short while, the boy came back with a triumphant smile, holding the watch in his hand. Everyone was astonished and asked him, “How did you do it?” “Simple,” the boy answered. “I just sat quiet and listened for the tick-tock.”
I’m sure this story can be retold in several ways, but the main point stays the same: the importance of being quiet and being attentive to the Lord.
We don’t want God to tell us what He told His people in today’s verse: “I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen.”
Many times, we get tricked into thinking that if something is very important, God will shout. But that’s not necessarily so. God often whispers very important things, and if we are too busy making noise, we won’t hear them.
So let’s prioritize making time to listen to the Lord. Prayer isn’t always talking to God; it is also about taking time to wait and focus our attention on the Lord so that we can hear from Him. That isn’t easy for those of us who tend to focus on doing, but it is a discipline to learn that will bring great rewards in the end.
Father, I want to know and do Your will. Help me make room for You today so that I can listen to what You are telling me. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD