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May 1 Daily Devotional

Proper Listening

Peter G. Feenstra

And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9–10)

Bible Reading

Isaiah 6:1–10

Devotional

Are you a good listener? Do you listen to God’s Word as He would have you listen? We live in a society that is very visual; it wants action, drama and excitement. Movies and sports events need to be action-packed and thrilling. If a team does not perform well the boo-birds are sure to come out. The highest rated movies disappear from the popularity list as quickly as they got there. This kind of mentality can easily impact our ability to listen to God’s Word.

Not only has the entertainment industry put a dent into our ability to listen, but we have also become our own worst enemies by all the fussing and running around we do. Our self-inflicted busyness has left us with little time to sit down and listen to the Lord speak to us.

On numerous occasions the Lord had to shake His people out of complacency and shallow listening. God warns His people repeatedly that if they do not listen, the very words that are spoken to them will testify against them and condemn them. When the Lord called Isaiah to be a prophet He gave him this instruction, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return to be healed.” (Is 6:9-10) This passage is quoted throughout the New Testament. In the parables of the kingdom our Lord Jesus stresses the need for proper listening. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mt 13:9)

We need to consider the spiritual condition of our hearts in the way we listen and respond to God’s Word. Are we hearing the Word of God with the ears of faith or are they filled with the wax of human opinion? Are we eager to hear God’s message of grace in Christ? How loyal are we in our commitment to study and work with God’s Word? Are we easily distracted by those things that give us pleasure? Daily we have the opportunity to read Scripture and to meditate on it. Are we using those opportunities correctly? Are we listening with hearts that are filled with an eagerness to know the Lord? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:7)

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