“Give ear and come to me; listen, that you my live”
(Isaiah 55:3)
It had been a good conference, or so I thought. I was in Arizona where the sun always shines, and the temperatures are always warm. Where the stars sparkle like a thousand diamonds in the sky. I had spoken twice, and at the end of the second message was standing around talking to several people, when one woman walked up to me and handed me a small piece of paper. She put it in my hand without saying a word and walked away. I slipped it into my pocket and completely forgot about it. That was until I was getting ready for bed that night. I felt something in my pocket, so I pulled it out. When I did, I remembered it was the note the lady had given me earlier in the day. I read it. It said something to the effect of “I is used as the subject and me as the object of a verb” – signed “an English teacher.” Apparently, in one of my messages I had said “I” when I should have said “me,” – or was it the other way around?
That was about twenty-five years ago, and I must tell you that her note did indeed help me be more careful about what pronouns I use. In fact, it still does to this day. So, if you ever catch me using the wrong one, please bear with me, I’m still learning. But, as I pondered her reproof, I wondered if she received the point of the message I had given, or if my incorrect English was a distraction to her. That thought got me thinking about the distractions that have plagued me from receiving God’s messages.
So, here is the question I want us to tackle in our hearts this week. When we are in church, or in a bible study, or anywhere God’s word is being preached or taught, how easily are we distracted from hearing, and more importantly listening to the message. Are our minds cluttered with worldly thoughts and personal concerns? Are we rehashing what happened last week, or thinking about what might happen in the coming week? Or perhaps we’re focused on what someone in the audience is wearing – or not wearing. And let’s be honest, it is so easy for the pastor to say one word that can send our minds off on a journey from the past.
Hearing and listening are two different things. Our ears can hear, just because our ears have the capability to hear. But listening means we tune in by putting our capability to hear to work. And then, even more importantly, we need to heed and take consideration of what we have listened to.
I don’t know if that English teacher from Arizona listened to what I had to say that day. I don’t know if the Holy Spirit spoke to her soul. But that did make me stop and think about how well I listen to the messages I hear from God. Is my mind focused on Him, or is it off in space and time somewhere, thinking daydreams and playing with fantasies?
How about you? Are you merely hearing – or are you listening to God’s word?
Darlene