John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
We all hear similar sounds… but what do we listen to?
A Masai community leader was invited to New York for a symposium. In Times Square, amidst all the blaring of horns and bustle of humanity, he grabbed his host and said: “I hear a cricket!” He then slowly crossed the street to where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and to his friend’s great amazement, there was a small cricket.
“That’s impossible!” exclaimed his friend. “You must have super-human hearing!”
“Not quite,” said the Masai. “My ears are no different from yours. It just depends on what you’re listening for.”
“Maybe – but there’s no way I would have heard a little cricket in the middle of New York City,” said the friend.
“That’s because you don’t care about crickets,” said the Masai. “But I bet you would be amazed at what your ears can pick up when it’s a priority. Here, let me show you.”
He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and unnoticeably dropped them on the pavement. Amazingly enough, with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that jingled on the pavement was theirs.
“Get the point?” asked the Masai. “It all depends on what’s important to you.”
God is speaking the whole time. But maybe listening to his voice is like picking up the sound of a cricket during commuter rush hour. What are your ears attuned to?
Why do I find it so easy to check the latest developments on Facebook but so hard to open my Bible? Why is time with God the first thing that I pass up on if an unexpected distraction comes my way?
Lord, I choose to hear and listen to you today. Help me prioritise time with you, and recognise distractions for what they are. Amen!
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