OK, I confess, I’m guilty! I am not the world’s greatest listener. I suspect that all of us would do well to sharpen our listening skills. Nowhere is that more true than in listening to the word of God. Hearing God’s word involves far more than getting your eardrums vibrated! It includes your response to the message.
Jesus said, “Therefore take heed how you hear” (Luke 8:18). Earlier in that chapter He had explained His parable of the sower. The four soils were four kinds of hearers (8:12-15). Sadly, in three of the four cases the hearer didn’t respond with faith and obedience.
Take heed how you hear! Why? Look at Luke 8:10 – “Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” When a person doesn’t care what God has to say, he doesn’t listen, doesn’t put much if any effort into understanding, and certainly doesn’t submit and obey. One who sincerely desires to know and do God’s will, however, will thrive and grow. “For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even that which he has will be taken from him” (8:18).
This ought to scare the socks off people who find Bible study and the assembly “boring”! Is it possible for teachers and preachers to become monotonous and dull? Yes, it is – and shame on us when we are! But at least equal shame applies to those who turn glassy-eyed the moment someone begins to read or talk about the Book.
Here’s another confession: I’ve been sorely tempted on occasion – usually in the middle of a sermon – to say something totally irrelevant and ridiculous just to see if anyone is listening closely enough to catch it. Fortunately, I’m too chicken to actually do it.
It’s bad enough to zone out when a family member is asking you to pass the potatoes. But may God hep us never to treat His word with disinterest!
“Take heed how you hear!”
