Listening Ears

How well do you listen?
How much do you hear on any given day?
What are you missing because you are not paying attention?
How important is being a good listener?

Think of all the things a parent may say to a child when they are teaching them to listen.
Listening ears, please.
I want your full attention.
Did you hear what I said?

It seems obvious that ears should be listening ears.
That is not always the case.
For many, ears are just something to adorn with earrings.
Ears are a convenient place to put glasses.

Ears serve a much more important function.

My younger son once asked me a unanswerable question.
If you had to choose, would you rather be blind or deaf?
My first answer was, neither.
He pressed and wanted me to choose.

Do you know what you would pick? I asked trying to deflect the question.
Yes, but you first.
I would rather be blind. I don’t think I could stand being deaf, I found myself saying.
Same for me!

That made sense since he is an incredible musician.
He would miss the rhythm he hears in everything.
He would miss the music that he surrounds himself with every day.
He would miss not being able to hear.

Even when we think all is quiet, it is not.
Listen; really listen, to the sounds around you.

As I sit here, two blue jays are arguing.
One lonely owl is hooting somewhere in my woods.
My clocks are chiming their Westminster chimes on the quarter hour.
Planes are flying overhead.

The refrigerator is humming.
The icemaker is releasing cubes of ice.
Cars are traveling the distant road that is on the other side of our woods.
School buses are coming down the street.

Floorboards creak.
Phones ring.
A siren sounds in the distance.
Laptop keyboard clicks.

A cacophony of sound all around us.
And we are unaware.
A symphony of sound fills our ears.
And we yawn.

He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As He spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me. He said, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against Me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says.” And whether they listen or fail to listen – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen…(Ezekiel 2:1-7)

You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen.

We probably never considered why listening is so important.
If we fail to teach our children to listen to us, how will they ever learn to listen to God?

Now then, my sons, listen to Me; blessed are those who keep My ways. Listen to My instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway. For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find Me harms himself; all who hate Me loves death.
(Proverbs 8:32-36)

We fill our days with superfluous white noise.
We tune out whatever is sounding off in the background.
We are used to the steady hum of something faint way in the distance.

Perhaps if we listen, really listen, we will hear the call of God.
The irrevocable call that you cannot run away from.
The call that will change your life.

We must teach our children to listen to the Word of God as it is preached and taught.
We must teach our children to listen to God’s still voice that speaks to their heart.
We must teach our children to be aware of the sounds of God all around them.
We must teach ourselves to do the same.

And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power? (Job 26:14)

How well do you listen?
Ask God and He will help you hear His voice.
He delights in being heard by His children.
The sounds of God are all around us, much too beautiful to miss.

Speak, for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:10)