Can You Hear Him Now?

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:20-21)

The eyes have it, right? Maybe. Sight is one of God’s greatest gifts (how does evolutionary theory explain the emergence of this sense anyway?). Without eyes, we’d be blind to colors, faces and opportunities (I’d definitely miss driving, sunsets and video games).

Even still, I’d rather lose my eyes than my ears. The deaf are far more disabled than the blind. In a world of silence, a person is imprisoned from music, singing and laughter. I’d rather hear (than see) an “I love you” any day. I’d rather listen (than watch) a ballgame (with subtitles) any time. My imagination is fueled far better by sounds than sights. Most biases, prejudices and perceptions are framed by what we see. The blind can still sing while the deaf struggle to speak.

Maybe that’s the reason the Proverbs writer states we must listen to learn. The eyes can deceive, while the ears can receive. What we view destroys us far faster than what we hear (erupting lust, envy, coveting, idolatry). An image tattoos itself to our minds. It’s no wonder most of our selfish plans are forged from what we see, can’t see or won’t see.

God’s Purpose resonates when we hear His Voice. You don’t see God as much as listen for Him to ring. God shouts in whispers and whirlwinds, not billboards and bulletins. Consequently, true Wisdom and God’s Plan ultimately emerge not from sight, but sound.

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear Him now?

Good.


NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON LISTENING:

Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals. --J. Isham

The opposite of talking is not listening. The opposite of talking is waiting. --Fran Lebowitz

Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf. -- Native American proverb

Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force...When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within us and come to life...When we listen to people there is an alternating current, and this recharges us so that we never get tired of each other...and it is this little creative fountain inside us that begins to spring and cast up new thoughts and unexpected laughter and wisdom. ...Well, it is when people really listen to us, with quiet fascinated attention, that the little fountain begins to work again, to accelerate in the most surprising way. -- Brenda Ueland

It is the province of knowledge to speak And it is the privilege of wisdom to listen. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

The first duty of love is to listen. --Paul Tillich


Father, we live in a noisy world where what we see can damage and destroy our soul's hearing. Help us to quiet. Silence the sounds so we might listen to Your Voice and truly see Your Plan. Spirit, instruct us in our silence so that True Wisdom will be our Guide. Amen.