Hearing. All those noises we take in. Some subtle, some loud. Some we know we shouldn’t listen to, others sneak past us. Did you ever notice that what you listen to often becomes what you meditate on…what you believe? It sets a mood. Changes our very spirit.
See? What we listen to can set our moods.
And what about the voice that carries gossip? Oh I know we try to keep our tongues from spreading gossip, but our ears are just as powerful here. With no one to listen to it, gossip dies. And it
doesn't matter how pretty the wrapping is on the gossip (eh-hmmm…I’ve got this prayer request…) if it’s not information you should have, you should not be receiving it. But too often our need to know gets us sucked into places we should not be. God’s quite clear about this voice… “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip.” Proverbs 20:19.
As long as I’m talking about voices…what about when you listen to people who put you down rather than build you up? We all know words can hurt. But they don’t make you who you are. Only God can do that. Listen to Psalm 139: 13-14, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it well.” His works are wonderful—and you are one of them. He didn’t create you by accident, He wove each unique part of you together. You are wonderful. You are chosen. You are loved. If you hear nothing else, hear that.
One last thing. We need to train our ears to know His voice. Sometimes counterfeit voices try to take the place of His. In fact, satan is so intent on being God that he forever tries to imitate Him…and he’s gotten good at it. But if we draw near to God, learn the texture of His voice, the cadence of His lilt, the very essence of His sound, we will not be fooled. Listen to these verses from the parable of the good shepherd found in John 10. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to know Him so intimately that even with the softest whisper, I'm certain it’s Him. To hear His voice above all others and meditate on His Word. To follow where He calls.
What about you? What will you do this week to clean out those ears and tune into Him?
Oh be careful little ears what you hear...
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post, Susan. Very thought provoking. You are very correct, music does set the tone in so many ways. Thank you for bringing this to mind.
Great post, Susan! What we listen to IS so very important! I was drawn to your paragraph about the voices we listen to - read a great article about sheep listening to voices (If Sheep are Such Good Followers, How Come I Keep Getting Lost by Cori Smelker) "Sheep follow the voice they know...That means, for those 'sheep' that have been led astray, they have become familiar with the voice of the enemy." We need to stop and evaluate what we're listening to - is it the Truth of our Heavenly Father? Or a lie from the pit?
ReplyDeleteWanted to thank you for stopping by Life Lessons! Great point about the Holy Spirit doing His convicting work so sin doesn't 'fester' in our lives. Love the way He fills us with all the right things when we let the 'junk' go! Have a super blessed week!
Love this post and your insights on this one too, Susan! =)
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