Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (NIV)

Luke 11:28 – He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (NIV)

There are so many calls for my attention these days. Recently, my cell phone received a national alert that was only a test, and the message said that I did not need to take any action. My coffee pot beeps when the coffee is ready, and the oven beeps when it reaches the desired temperature. Our car beeps if seat belts are not secured. The smoke detector beeps when there's smoke in the air. My cell phone can beep the instant that every new text or news item arrives. I have a hearing deficiency, and the other day, the alarm clock next to my bed beeped for 30 minutes with increasingly loud beeps until I heard it. And even my hearing aids beep when the batteries need changing. Sometimes, I want to disregard all the noise, tune out the distractions and noisy alerts, and use the "do not disturb" function. But that doesn't really satisfy my desire to hear what is necessary. I need discernment to focus on what is important.

On the spiritual level, it is so essential to hear God's calling to us.

Genesis 3:8-10 – Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." (NIV)

It seems that mankind has had hearing deficiencies ever since the Garden of Eden. And God has been calling ever since. He desires communication with us, as any good relationship should have.

Dare we turn a deaf ear? Are we overloaded with too much noise in our heads to hear Him clearly? Are we ready to listen? When we do hear, do we take heed and answer? Let us be eager to discover what He is saying to us. Think how much we miss when we don't have communication with God.

Just as I need to put fresh batteries in my hearing aids and to remember to wear them to hear clearly, we need to make ourselves ready to hear God speak.

Not only does God call to us, but He also invites us to call to Him!

Jeremiah 33:3 – Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, we need to improve our listening skills. Let us quiet down, prepare to listen carefully, and respond in obedience today. Our relationship with God will be so improved.

Prayer: Our loving Father God, how You long for us, Your beloved children, to hear and to respond to You, like Your servant Samuel did long ago: "Speak, for Your servant is listening." Forgive us for plugging our ears or being inattentive. We need You every hour. Help us to come to You with our ears ready to hear. Amen.

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About the author:

Sharon Lundquist <lundquistsharon4@gmail.com>
Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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