Listening (Lesson 2)

‘Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations’ (Isaiah 51:4).
  

Have you ever wondered why God gave you one mouth but two ears? He wants you to listen twice as much as you talk. Listening is about hearing and understanding the other person's point of view. According to communication experts, ‘effective communication exists between two people when the receiver interprets and understands the sender’s message in the same way the sender intended it’. The word understand, can literally be broken into two parts, under - stand. It means, getting to a point where you are standing under someone else’s opinion, and you are having the same perspective or point of view. A similar meaning is also present in other languages including Twi and Ga (African Languages).

The most common phrase in Biblical prophecies is ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says’ (Mat 11:15, Rev 2:17, Rev 2:29, Rev 3:21). This clearly reveals that, whenever the Word of God comes to a group of people, it is only those that are listening, that will hear or understand God’s message. Likewise, there are so many times God speaks to individuals, but they fail to listen and understand, and are robbed of the blessings God intended for them through that message.

The primary difference between a student who fails an examination and the one who passes, is understanding. Similarly, the difference between a fruitful Christian, who is walking in the abundance of God and an unfruitful Christian, is understanding (Mat 13:3-9). As a Christian, understanding is that which births faith in you. By understanding God’s written, spoken or prophetic word, you literally see things from God’s perspective and this yields an unquenchable faith, and enables you to obey God. In Romans, Paul taught that, faith comes by understanding and understanding comes by listening to the word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is the means by which the Christian life is led, it is the key to living as an over comer.

God, who is a spirit, communicates with our spirits and it takes a human spirit that is hungry for God and focused, paying attention and listening to Him, to understand His word. Proverbs 2:2 teaches that we should incline our years to wisdom, but apply our heart (spirit) to understanding. This clearly reveals that, when it comes to understanding God, it is a matter of your heart or spirit. Your love or affection comes into play. Proverbs 4:7 also confirms this fact, by saying that it will cost you all you have to get understanding. Hearing God's voice may mean you have to sacrifice lesser things and tune out other voices. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than learning to recognize God's voice when He speaks to you, and obeying Him. When you're where God wants you to be, He will meet your every need.

If you don't learn to give God the first part of your day, through prayer and the study of His word, you're unlikely to break through to a deeper relationship with Him. Your goal should not just be information, but intimacy. Today, pay attention, listen to and obey your heavenly father. This will bring understanding and faith. When you haven't carried out God's last set of instructions it's hard to get excited about His next set.