James 1:19 “My dear brothers, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”
My name, Simon, means ‘Listener’. My wife finds that ironic. She says I never listen to her… at least that’s what I think she said! And yet most of us are better (or quicker) at speaking than at listening. The above verse’s context is between people, but no doubt we’re the same with God – we’re quick to speak and slow to listen, rather than vice versa.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Silence is the simple stillness of the individual under the word of God… But everybody knows that this is something that needs to be practiced and learned in these days when talkativeness prevails. Real silence, real stillness, really holding one’s tongue, comes only as the sober consequence of spiritual stillness… The silence of the Christian is listening silence, humble stillness… Silence before the Word leads to right hearing and thus to right speaking of the Word of God at the right time… Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because Christians are talking when they should be listening. He who no longer listens to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either.”
Are you listening to God? How? There’s no way we will hear him unless we take serious measures to make time to listen. From the moment I get up in the morning and know there are several dozen emails (voices) waiting for me to deal with, to driving to work and being blasted by adverts on the radio and on billboards, to competing demands from colleagues, friends and family, there are a lot of other voices drowning out the most important one. This devotional might be a help on your journey, but is no substitute for quality stillness before the Lord. What will we do about it?
Lord, I choose to set aside some time to be really still and listen to you today. Amen!
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