Listening And Hearing God - I Samuel 3:3-11

 

LISTENING AND HEARING GOD – I SAMUEL 3:3-11

 

INTRODUCTION:

 Some said that it is easier to hear than to listen. Given attention to listen is one of the hardest attitude. Hearing is easy because it does not demand the initiative and energy required in speaking or listening. James 1:19 is simple enough in principle but nearly impossible to live. How often we find out that we fail in the order of “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”. From this we see that to listen requires discipline which has to be cultivated over time. It requires effort and determination to form the habit. The following out lays will serve as great help to becoming a good listener and hearer.

 

PART I

1.     Good Listening and Patience

This is forming the habit to hear out a speaker before venturing to make a response. # It is not “a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say”. # It is not “an impatient inattentive listening that is only waiting for a chance to speak” # It is not a presumption of knowing where the speaker is going, with a ready mind formulating our response. # It is not knowing interest in another commitment, wishing the speaker to quickly done. Not half-eared because our attention is divided, either by our external surrounding or our internal rebounding to self.

 

2.     Good Listening and Love (John14:15, 21 ; James 1:22-25)

-         While good listening embraces, poor listening rejects.

-         Poor listening diminishes the other person, while good listening invites them to exist and to matter

-         Love to/for God begins with listening and paying attention to His Word.

 

3.     Good Listening and Humility (Philippians 2:5)

-         Careful listening flows from a humble heart that count others more significant than ourselves – Philippians 2:3

-         It looks not to the interest of his own only, but also the interest of others – Philippians 2:4

 

4.     Good Listening and Ministry

-         Listening can be a greater service than speaking.

-         A person can be helped merely by having someone who will listen to him seriously.

-         Good listening often defuses the emotions that are a part of the problem being discussed.

-         A good ministry is to be able to listen to someone’s pain all the way to the bottom.

 

5.     Good Listening and Relationship with God

-         Good listening is a great means of grace in the dynamic of true Christian fellowship.

-         It is a channel through which God continues to pour His grace into our lives.

-         Our inability to listen well may be symptomatic of a chatty spirit that is droning out the voice of God.

-         Keeping quiet before God open the flood gate of His mind being poured out to us. Therefore, prattle less before God.

 

PART II

 

HEARING GOD

 

INTRODUCTION:

God constantly speaks to His people, but we often miss out on hearing because we seek His counsel only occasionally especially when we face major decisions or when we are going through a crisis. This only leads to confusion and frustration as often we fail to clearly hear what should be done. Therefore, cultivate a good habit of hearing God or from God before trouble comes. The closer you get to God, the more you can enjoy on-going conversation with Him by listening and hearing form Him constantly.

 

1.     Set aside a regular time to listen for God’s message.

v Make a habit of intentionally and expectantly listening for whatever God may want to tell you. It is more important to be a listener than one who constantly ask from God.

 

2.     Recognize God has created you for Friendship/Fellowship with Him.

v God desires our friendship/fellowship, in that context of relationship we hear Him better.

v He wants us to recognize His revealed will in His word and do them, thus cultivating an obedient heart ready not only to hear but to do (James 1:22).

 

3.     Have a correct motive for wanting to hear from God (Numbers 22:7ff)

v Honestly reflect on why you want to hear from  God (Jeremiah 26:8)

-         Is it true openness to whatever God has to say and commitment to putting His guidance into action irrespective of challenges in doing His will?

-         Is it a selfish reason of feeling righteous or comforted?

 

4.     Do not try to Force God to Speak to You.

-         No matter how desperate you are to hear from God, never use a short-cut i.e. putting key in the Bible, random opening of the Bible, depending solely on happening and occurrences, seeking out “seer” etc.

-         Realize that God speaks when He chooses to communicate with you.

-         Focus on developing a respectful relationship with God and wait for His time to give a message. (Example: Young prophet Samuel).

 

5.     Recognize God in diverse ways: through Angelic medium; visions; and dramatic miraculous events. But mostly:

v He speaks through recurring thought (pray and discern).

v Through reading the scriptures.

v Through praying quietly.

v Through learning from circumstances or

v Through counsel from other matured Christians (Eli’s case).

v Through the “skill small voice” therefore constantly renew your mind (Romans 12:2).

 

Finally, remember that God’s voice carries the weight of authority with it, and expresses a spirit of peace, confidence, joy, reasonableness and goodwill. If you think God is speaking to you ask Him for confirmation as you study and meditate on the word, as you are alert to circumstances you encounter and mostly by the Holy Spirit impression on your mind.

 

How we will face these hard times? What will our attitudes and actions be? Will we deny Jesus? Will we betray others? Will we scream and whine when things get tougher? Will all this pressure cause our carnal nature to bulge out in all directions?

 

The time of the end is at hand. It will be a time of severe testing and trial of faith. It will be a time of deep heart searching and important decision making. Therefore brethren, it is time to seek the Lord with all our hearts. It is time to put away every and all distractions. It is time to give ourselves to Him totally and without reserve so that He can transform us, filling us with all that He is. Only in this way will we have taken heed.