Three scriptures; summarized by three words; reviewed often.
Walking in the woods behind our home one afternoon, reviewing those three scriptures along with their corresponding three words, it came to me: echo, aroma, reflection—the three words that describe who I want to be—also form the acrostic, EAR.
Psalm 40:6 records, “…you have given me an open ear…” A more literal translation from the Hebrew would be, ears you have dug for me. (Thank you, Eugene Peterson)
Hearing is so important to God that He created me with two ears so I can listen for His voice; for your voice; for the voices of my other friends and family.
My friend Deb is 95% deaf. But I have learned so much about hearing and listening from Deb. She focuses her whole attention on me when I speak; she questions to help her understanding; she laughs at herself when she hears incorrectly; she appreciates repetition. Deb is a great listener.
I want to listen to God like Deb listens to me. Like Deb I don’t always hear accurately the first time; I don’t always understand what I hear; and I don’t always remember well what I hear. I need to grow in focused attention.
So
- I journal.
- I review.
- I ponder.
- I ask God; I ask others.
- I create hooks, like acrostics, to help me remember.
What has helped you develop your listening skills?
“…God not only loves you very much, but also has put his hand on you for something special… Something happened in you. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, …”
From I Thessalonians 1, The Message
“But thanks be to God … who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance (aroma) of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
II Corinthians 2:14, Revised Standard Version – parenthesis mine
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into his likeness …”
II Corinthians 3:18, New International Version
No comments:
Post a Comment