Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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Published: 21 October 2017

• Called to Listen

Week 5: Listening to the Spirit

He Who Has Ears to Hear—Not Afraid to Listen

Week 5, Day 6

A gentleman went to the doctor and asked for advice on how to convince his wife to come in and have her hearing checked. The husband’s frustration with his wife’s lack of attention to what he had to say was growing, and he needed some assistance. The doctor recommended that the man, upon returning home, stand about 15 feet away from his wife and ask her a question. If she didn’t answer, stand about 10 feet away. And if there was still no response, move to about 5 feet away and repeat the question.
The gentleman decided this was a good strategy and agreed to try it. “Thanks, doc! Hopefully, I’ll be bringing her in for that hearing check later this week.” When he got to the house, the husband greeted his wife and then stood the fifteen feet away and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Nothing. Moving to 10 feet away, he repeated the question. “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still nothing. Now standing five feet away, after restating his question, his wife turned around and responded, “For the third time, we’re having rice and beans. Now how did that doctor appointment go?”

When we have frustrations in communication, we react, thinking that the other person is the one with the hearing problem. We read the verses admonishing, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear...” But our response is, “I wish sister so-and-so would open her ears to the truth.” However, the first assessment should always be to check our own ears. No matter how true the statement or good the news, we can fall into the trap of seeking only to listen to what our itching ears want to hear.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (ESV)
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Today’s prayer for listening is that the Spirit will open our ears and our heart to hear exactly what He wants us to hear. You may be tempted to pray that prayer over someone else—that God will open his/her ears and heart. It is a valid prayer, but we can only control our own listening, not anyone else’s. Why do we avoid listening?

I admit that, at times, I am afraid to listen. I avoid going to the Word, fearful of what God may reveal in my life or the pain of conviction that may come from what I hear.
Yet there is a difference between feeling convicted and being condemned. When we don’t hear what our itching ears want to hear, rather listen to what God needs to say, our toes may get stepped on. But these words are spoken out of love, for our own good. When the Spirit came on the apostles at the Day of Pentecost, they were inspired to speak as God directed. The Spirit equipped them to speak in the languages of all of the people present. And even though the message was convicting, what did it lead the
people to?

Acts 2:36-41 (ESV)
36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you
crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Repentance. An opportunity to begin anew. May we not cling to what our itching ears want to hear, but rather listen for the truth—even if it means we are cut to the heart.
Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening to the Spirit:

We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.

This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.

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Published: 20 October 2017

• Called to Listen

Week 5: Listening to the Spirit

Too Busy to Listen

Week 5, Day 5

I seem to never have time to do many of the things that are important to me. There are only 24 hours in a day, and I can fill them up quickly. Sometimes, my day is filled with all the right priorities. Other days, Netflix draws me into one more episode, scrolling through Facebook takes a twenty-minute chunk out of my day... my “too busy to listen” is really an excuse—an inaccurate description of my day because I have gotten lost in things that are not my highest priority. What is your excuse?

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Making sure God is the highest priority in our time, in our relationships, and in our listening is tough. It doesn’t happen without effort and intentionality. Listening requires discipline. It is like a muscle we must exercise. And when we don’t practice our listening exercises, our spiritual muscles weaken and we have to work harder again to re-learn to listen. During week 2, we practiced listening in silence. You were asked to sit still for five minutes and listen. When other thoughts creeped in, we repeated the phrase, “I’m listening to the still, small voice.” 

Today, we are going to use a similar practice throughout the entire day, inspired by Mary, Martha’s sister, who “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (Lk. 10:39, ESV). (For those with physical limitations, you can create a modified version of this listening exercise.) Three different times today, sit on the floor for at least two minutes at a time, and picture yourself at the Lord’s feet, listening. Invite the Spirit to speak to you through quiet reflection, reminding you of truth from the verses we have read together this week, or other scripture on which you are meditating. Remembering is one of the Spirit’s special roles. We are going to invite Him to help us remember today.

At least three times today, we are going to intentionally pause to listen and remember.
Listen to His voice.
Remember His truths in Scripture.
Listen in silence.
Remember the countless blessings.

Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening to the Spirit today:

We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.

This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.