{"id":30615,"date":"2023-11-01T10:37:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T16:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baonline.cog7engage.net\/?p=30615"},"modified":"2023-11-02T09:07:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T15:07:52","slug":"listening-for-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baonline.cog7engage.net\/listening-for-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Listening for God"},"content":{"rendered":"

At ten years old, our youngest complained about a group leader who talked too much. I encouraged him to be tolerant, pointing out that some people talk more than others and we need to wait patiently for our turn to speak.<\/p>\n

My son replied, \u201cBut everybody should have a period sitting on their tongue. Mr. Jones never does.\u201d<\/p>\n

Purpose of the period<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A period is a small dot at the end of sentences to indicate a full stop. In conversation we can\u2019t actually see periods, but people indicate them by pausing slightly. This allows speakers to take a breath and listeners to respond to what\u2019s been said.<\/p>\n

In Mark Twain\u2019s humorous tale Roughing It<\/em>, the main character travels cross-country by stagecoach and meets a passenger unacquainted with the conversational pause. Lamenting his misfortune, the main character says, \u201cThe fountains of her great deep were opened up, and she rained the nine parts of speech, forty days and forty nights, metaphorically speaking, and buried us under a desolating deluge of trivial gossip. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Wordiness<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not all verbosity achieves the biblical status Twain attributes to this fictional woman. Still, less skillful chatterers sometimes force their prey to feign the flu or other temporary illnesses \u2014\u00a0 anything to avoid death by words.<\/p>\n

Even the distant whine of a verbose person\u2019s voice pumps enough adrenaline through veins to send the talker\u2019s prey sprinting for cover. Some windy wonders seem to suck oxygen from conversational circles, but no one has yet indicted one for murder. That doesn\u2019t mean that wordiness doesn\u2019t kill.<\/p>\n

Excess words slay sermons by suffocating the main point under an avalanche of unnecessary words. Sometimes a group discussion starts out on an interesting route until a word terrorist hijacks the conversation plane and steers it into monologue country, a place few choose to visit.<\/p>\n

Bonds and friendship<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Anyone can get over losing the crux of a message or an opportunity for dialogue, but the victim of over-talking is often friendship. This loss isn\u2019t easily recovered. Bonds develop during the little pauses after sentences. That\u2019s when others speak and we listen. As they talk, we discover their talents, loves, histories, and styles.<\/p>\n

The simple act of listening builds friendship. This works not only with people but also with God. Jesus taught the spare use of words. \u201cWhen you pray, do not keep on babbling\u00a0like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words\u201d (Matthew 6:7).<\/p>\n

Listening to Scripture<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This can also be applied to reading the Bible. Instead of obsessing about finishing a chapter, read until a scripture grips your spirit, then stop and ponder it.<\/p>\n

Once, in the silence that followed a lengthy prayer asking God to change a certain circumstance, I sensed Him say, \u201cThere\u2019s a time for what you ask, but it\u2019s not now.\u201d We find the heart-to-heart we crave with God when we intentionally listen.<\/p>\n

In Waiting on God<\/em>, Andrew Murray admits it may be difficult to learn quietness, but he says, \u201cthe little season will bring a peace and a rest that give blessing not only in prayer but all the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s voice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

God speaks; that\u2019s His modus operandi<\/em>. Hundreds of biblical incidences attest to it. God begins in Genesis with \u201cLet there be light!\u201d From there, His voice punctuates one section of Scripture after another, until the last chapter where Jesus says, \u201cI am coming soon!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Old Testament records the Father speaking to prophets, kings, priests, farmers, mothers, fathers, and children. The New Testament shows Jesus speaking to the rich, the poor, the pompous, the political, the religious, the desperate, the sick, and the dead.<\/p>\n

Jesus said, \u201cMy sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me\u201d (John 10:27). Because God speaks to people, the relationship award goes not to marathon talkers who pile up words while praying but to listeners who treasure what He says.<\/p>\n

Rewards of listening<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mary made the best choice when she sat at Christ\u2019s feet and clung to every word. \u201cPrayer listening\u201d has its rewards: insight into perplexing problems, increased understanding of the Bible, and getting God\u2019s perspective on issues.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always wise to keep a period on our tongues, especially when talking with God.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At ten years old, our youngest complained about a group leader who talked too much. I encouraged him to be tolerant, pointing out that some people talk more than others and we need to wait patiently for our turn to speak. My son replied, \u201cBut everybody should have a period sitting on their tongue. Mr. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":283,"featured_media":30632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2551,44],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nListening for God - Bible Advocate<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/baonline.cog7engage.net\/listening-for-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Listening for God - Bible Advocate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At ten years old, our youngest complained about a group leader who talked too much. 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