Quick to Listen

One of the great privileges we have as believers in Jesus is that we can hear His call. In John 10:27 Jesus declares, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them Eternal life.” Notice the heart attitude of one of Jesus’ sheep, they hear Him. Hearing Jesus develops an intimacy where He becomes known to us, and we are known to Him. As we get to know Him, and His voice, we trust our Shepherd and follow His lead. He leads us in His ways, and gives us eternal life. From Psalm 23 we know our Shepherd leads us to lush green pastures and peaceful waters. That is good news to a sheep.

Following Jesus requires an attitude that is willing to set aside any distractions. Proverbs 4:20 says, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.” To “incline our ears” means to give “full attention” to what the word of God has to say. The Good Shepherd will never lead us in a path that is contrary to the word of God, so it is important that we are diligent to read and study God’s word.

And finally, James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” At times, the opposite is true for us, we are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger. If we are going to follow Jesus we are going to have to develop better skills in listening. Pray and ask Jesus to help you be a better listener, to set aside distractions and find out what His word has to say on the subject at hand, and to know your Good Shepherd. He will guide you into His path and plan. It’s His promise: My sheep hear My voice.