“Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.” –Jeremiah 35:17
The word, listen, occurs 284 times in 275 verses in the NASB95. Roughly, half of them are positive and the other half are negative, like the verses that say, did not listen.
The phrase, did not listen, Is used 8 times in the Book of Jeremiah, and numerous times in other books of the Bible. The prophets spoke the Word of God, and God told Israel and Judah, repeatedly, of the consequences of their idolatry and other sins, but since they did not listen, and continued to rebel against His counsel, they were overcome by other nations.
This all started with Adam and Eve, who did not listen to God when He told them not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then, why did they listen to the serpent?
We choose whom we listen to, and what we listen to. We can choose to read the Word of God or listen to the world, the flesh, or the devil.
Why do we choose to listen to the wrong things, from the wrong sources? The children of Israel were called stubborn and obstinate, rebellious and arrogant. These are all self-centered behaviors, which lead us to make bad choices.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, Romans 8:6
We can set our minds on the proper things, or the improper things. We choose to listen, or we choose not to listen.
Where do we go for the proper things to listen to? There’s no better source of truth than the Bible. Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
When should we listen? Proverbs 3:6, in the MSG says, Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Listening is our choice. It is a great communication tool. CBMC Leadership Coach Training teaches us to listen carefully and ask powerful questions.
If we did not listen, it is also our choice. Sometimes, it is the right choice, if we are choosing to not listen to the wrong person or the wrong message. Discernment is about setting our minds, and it is important to let the Holy Spirit do the setting.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5
Think and Pray: What areas of your life should you be quick to listen, and slow to speak? Heavenly Father, help me to listen to You first, and others next, before I speak with those I encounter this week in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Eldon Kibbey has served as the Director of CBMC Indiana since 1998. His earlier career included a tour of duty with the US Air Force, a brief career in the aerospace industry with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, and then 26 years at the helm of a national janitorial service. Eldon and his wife, Sandy, are the parents of four children, and have three grandsons.
