"Ear"

If you listen to their stories,

You’ll know what people think,

But if you’re always talking,

You’ll lose ‘em in a blink.

We show if we will listen,

That we really give a care,

To all the stuff that’s happened,

And all that brought them there.

Just ask them a few questions,

Sometimes the dam will break,

And they will not stop talking,

You give them time to take,

The words you say they will forget,

But not how you made them feel,

Simply ‘cause you listened,

The care you show is real.

‘Course it’s all the Spirit,

Of the Lord who lives in you,

Showing folks the love of God,

By what you say and do.

Never underestimate,

The power of your ear,

It far outweighs the words you say,

Each time someone draws near.

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you…” (Jeremiah 29:12, NIV)

This verse and others like it tell us that our God is a great listener. We are invited by Him to come and call upon Him in prayer, and if we do, He will listen to us. It’s a great thing to know, isn’t it? God already knows everything that we are thinking, feeling and doing yet He still listens to us as we pour out our hearts to Him. And so we should, and hold nothing back. We should also consider how God want to use us as we listen to others. Listening is as much a ministry as speaking.

Lord, help us listen to others the way You so graciously listen to us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, billantonstudios.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.