Proverbs 2:1-5 – My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (NIV)

Listening to my grandchild takes practice and intentional listening. At four, she is still unable to pronounce a number of letters correctly. This issue makes various words difficult to grasp, as the sound that she is seeking to make comes out in the form of another letter. In some words, there may be several letters that are pronounced differently than the way that they should be. Thus, to have the best hope of understanding a sentence or a paragraph, one must have an intentionally listening ear. Our whole focus must be upon what she is trying to say, which is very exhausting for her parents and me, as intentional listening takes a lot of energy.

We are so used to listening to the radio, television, or other people talking while we are busy doing other chores and still understanding all that is being said. Listening while multi-tasking is simply a way of life. When a person has a speech deficit, however, listening takes on a whole new meaning. I often find myself praying, "Open my ears to understand, Lord. Give me insight into what she is saying so that I may grasp it and be able to meet her need or respond appropriately to her conversation."

Likewise, in today's Scripture, we learn that truly hearing and understanding God's Word also requires intentional listening. We must apply our whole heart to understanding it. We must cry out to God for insight and meaning. We must search diligently for comprehension, just as we might search for hidden treasure. Only through intentional listening in the power of His Holy Spirit will we come to discover the true knowledge of God, a knowledge that leads and directs us toward the best way that we should walk and the plans that God has prepared for our lives, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future.

So, as we choose to take the time to read or listen to the Word in Scripture today, may we also choose to cry out to God for an intentional listening ear, and then be prepared to discover hidden treasures more valuable than silver or gold.

Prayer: Father God, help us to tune out the world and the ramblings of our minds so that with listening ears, we might intentionally hear the treasures of Your Word each and every day. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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