LISTEN

Listen

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.’”

Mark 12:29

Unlike our unruly tongues, our ears rarely get us into trouble, unless, of course, they stop functioning, as in the case of a man who doesn’t hear the whistle of an oncoming train or a child who fails to register cries of warning as she edges too close to a cliff.

Although the Hebrew word shema (pronounced “shmah”) is translated as “hear” or “listen,” it means more than what we normally think of as hearing, which is a rather passive activity. Shema implies acting on what has been heard. That’s why our English Bibles frequently translate the word shema as “obey.”

Many of the Old Testament prophets preceded their announcements with the phrase “Hear the word of the Lord.” In other words, listen to what God is saying, and then do what he tells you to do. Though the New Testament was written in Greek, Jesus would have been familiar with this understanding, which is why he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Mark 4:9). Hearing God means not only listening to what he says but doing what he asks.

Fortunately, this active way of “hearing” is a two-way street. We can be confident that when God hears our prayers, the implication is that he will act in accordance with our best interests. Listen to the words of the psalmist:

I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my p

rayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 66:17-20, NIV

If you want God to hear your prayers, make sure you are doing your best to hear his voice.

Father, when your Spirit descended on Jesus in the Jordan River, you said: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). Help me to listen.