Are You Hearing or Listening?

A Word in Season:

David’s family owns a guest ranch. During the summer, many youth groups attend camp there. One of my favorite groups is an organization that operates a school for deaf children. One year, I made the observation: though none of the kids could hear, they could all listen.

When the kids would go through the buffet line, some of them did not want to take any food. Others, who were on special diets, only wanted what they could not have. Their counselor would get the students attention by touching them on the arm or shoulder. Then they would communicate with them by signing. At times they would communicate, “No, you cannot eat that” or “Yes, you need to eat this”. If the students did not want to listen, they would turn their heads away or close their eyes.

The Bible says we can hear the voice of God. Samuel heard the voice of God but thought it was his mentor in the next room (see 1 Samuel 3).

Just like the deaf students, we can learn to listen to the voice of God when he speaks. The deaf kids had to focus on their counselor in order to listen to instruction. In the same way, we have to quiet our mind, and all of the noise around us, to focus on God.

It is hard to quiet ourselves in this busy world we live in. But, when we finally get ourselves settled down, and focus on God, we will not only hear His voice, but we can listen to those personal things He longs to speak to us. So, sit down and relax, open those eyes and focus on Him.

Theresa Cannon