Take Heed How You Hear
Ponder: What does it mean to really “hear” God’s word?
Scripture: “O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the word of the Lord!” (Jeremiah 22:29 NKJV)
OK, I confess, I’m guilty! I am not the world’s greatest listener. I suspect that all of us would do well to sharpen our listening skills. Nowhere is that more true than in listening to the word of God. Hearing God’s word involves more than merely getting your eardrums vibrated; it includes your response to what God says.
Jesus said, “Therefore take heed how you hear” (Luke 8:18). Earlier in the chapter He had explained the parable of the sower. The four soils were four kinds of hearers (8:12-15). Sadly, in three of the four cases, the hearer didn’t respond with consistent faith and obedience.
Why must we “take heed how (we) hear”? Look at 8:10 – “Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” When a person doesn’t care what God has to say, he doesn’t listen, doesn’t put much effort into trying to understand, and certainly doesn’t submit and obey. One who sincerely desires to know God and to do His will, however, will thrive and grow. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him” (8:18).
This ought to scare the socks off people who find Bible study and the assembly “boring.” Is it possible for preachers and teachers to become monotonous and dull? Yes, and shame on us when we are! But at least equal shame applies to those who turn glassy-eyed the moment someone begins to read or talk about God’s Book!
Here’s another confession: I’ve been sorely tempted on occasion – usually in the middle of a sermon – to say something totally irrelevant and ridiculous, just to see how many are listening closely enough to catch it. Fortunately, I’m too chicken to actually do it!
It’s bad enough to zone out when a family member is asking you to pass the potatoes. But may God help us never to treat His word with disinterest. “Take heed how you hear!”
Song: “How Precious is the Book Divine”
Prayer: “Father in heaven, please forgive us for our failure to really listen to You speaking through Your word. Please help us to rekindle within our hearts a burning desire for understanding and obeying Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joe Slater (Justin, TX)