Would you agree that we live in a very noisy world? It’s not only parents who repeatedly say, “Did you really hear me?” or “Are you listening to what I said?” There are times in all of our lives when we would like to ask the same question to both family members and friends, aren’t there? In the busyness of life and in the midst of distractions of all kinds, being with someone whom you realize is giving you their full and undivided attention is a very real gift.
What would you say is the difference between “hearing” and “listening”? Someone has rightly said, “Hearing is through your ears, but listening is through your mind and heart.” One might define hearing as the ability to perceive sounds by receiving vibrations through one’s ears, while listening is a skill that requires conscious effort to interpret and understand the meaning of the words which were spoken. Hearing simply happens but listening requires concentration so that your brain processes what you have heard.
God longs for His children to come into His presence and to listen for His voice. “Be still and know that I am God,” is just one of the invitations that is found in the Psalms. Jesus often encouraged His disciples to “consider carefully what you hear.” Perhaps that is exactly what He would like you and me to do as we come to His Word week by week in our new fall Bible study – “Listening for the Voice of God”.
Print out the study guides or use them online. Introductions to each lesson will begin on Friday, September 14.
