Are We Listening

John 10:27 … "My sheep hear my voice … and they follow me."

Is there a difference between hearing and listening?

We know God speaks, but we don't listen many times to what He's saying.

Matthew 13:15 … "For this people's heart is waxed gross, (thick and callous) and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart …"

We hear with our ears; but we listen with our heart.

Psalm 85:8 … "I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints …"

The main thought here is, I will "listen," I will have a "willingness" to hear God, whatever God should say; and with a confidence that whatever He says would be words of mercy and love. We learn to recognize His voice, by whatever God says through the Word, we should listen to and believe; whatever God asks, we should do. There should be such a confidence in Him that whatever He might say to us or require of us, we know it proceeds from a heart of love.

Psalm 91:15 … "He shall call upon me, and I will answer Him …"

God is speaking here of His child … "when My child calls, I will answer him." It may be you are listening for a word from Him; it may be something material, it doesn't matter … God will give whatever is best for you. God is to be called upon and He promises an answer, which He always gives; for He is a God that hears and answers prayer. We may not always like His answer, but He is in charge … not us.

God can also speak thru nature … good things like the sun and the rain; and "if He so chooses" … through things man has called, "the evils of nature."

Solomon asks this question in Lamentations 3:38 … "Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?" K.J.V.

"Is it not out of the mouth of the Most High that evil and good both proceed [adversity and prosperity, physical evil or misfortune and physical good or happiness]?" Amplified Bible.

Does not evil or trouble come out of God's mouth from His direction, and providence … as well as good? Certainly they do; they come to pass, both one and the other, as God has purposed and determined; not the evil of sin … this does not come out of the mouth of God, for it is condemned by Him; therefore He is not the author of sin.

Job 36:1-4 … "Elihu said … I have yet to speak on God's behalf. I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words shall not be false: He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee."

It may not have looked like it, but God was with Job during his testing.

Job 36:10-12 … "He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge."

God may speak to … "discipline us," and by obeying it we gain knowledge.

Job 37:2 … "Hear attentively the noise of His voice, and the sound that goeth out of His mouth." Listen with your heart … don't just hear with your ears.

Job 37:9-10 … "Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
By the breath of God frost is given …"

In this chapter, Elihu is saying that all of nature; lightning, thunder, clouds, wind, etc.; all move and turn on God's command, counsel and direction. Nature listens.

Job 37:13 … "He causeth it to come, whether for correction … or for mercy."

God would always rather give us mercy … but "if we don't listen," He may bring correction or discipline to get our attention.

Hebrews 12:6 … "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth (to instruct, teach), and scourgeth (to whip, beat or flog) every son whom He receiveth."

Job 42:5 … "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine
eye seeth thee."

How God spoke to Job, even from the whirlwind is unclear; but Job heard God and he listened. But now thru nature, he sees God's sovereignty and providence over his life and submits to it. Man's spirit can hear and believe by faith; but our carnal side, the man made of flesh, needs to see and feel things with his senses to understand the work of God; and even then we don't understand very well.

I like Solomon's writing; I find myself going back to it often, it's full of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 … "Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it."

It is my understanding from the whole counsel of God (the Word), that "the work of God," which Solomon is speaking of, is all the stuff God uses, to bring about in our lives … His purpose and His designed plan and His will for us.

Psalm 24:1 is still true … "The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

This covers everything; the earth (the physical planet); the fullness (everything it produces); the world (the social systems); and they (all men and creatures).

God has never relinquished His control over any of His creation; with the exception of … "the free will of man," but yet God, if He so chooses, can bend (but He never breaks) our will to bring us to serve Him by listening to Him when we hear Him; but even then that choice is always left to us.

But if we choose not to listen …

Proverbs 1:24 … "Because I have called, and ye refused …"

Proverbs 1:28 … "they call upon me, but I will not answer … they shall not find me."

God has called some, and they refused to answer His call, so it was therefore just and right for Him not to answer them. God is not obligated in any way to those who refuse to hear or listen.

Jesus repeated this phrase to people many times … "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." I think He was speaking of our spiritual ears that are connected to the heart.

James gave an additional thought to what Jesus said when he added … "let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak …"

Most of us need to consider that last part as well.



Comments welcome.