Monday, February 12, 2018

A good listener ............. Parables 702

February 6, 2001

One of my Christmas gifts was a set of walkie talkies. Our children hooted with laughter as they questioned the wisdom of this purchase, but my husband thought they might come in handy.

Sure enough, he was right. Over the holidays, a virus or two attacked my system and sent me to bed for a few days. While Bob worked downstairs or in the garage, I was too wobbly to manage, so if I needed anything, he had me call him on the walkie talkie. Later, I told a neighbor about this handy gift. He laughed then quipped, “Don’t tell my wife about those things. I’m not sure I want to be that accessible!”

I discovered something while using “those things.” I’ve often noticed that my husband talks to himself while he works. When I hear him, I am never sure if he is talking to me or not. Also, if he is busy and I talk to him, he sometimes does not answer me, at least not immediately. It didn’t work like that with the walkie talkie. As soon as I beeped, he was right there.

Like many wives, I used to say, “You never listen to me” but the walkie talkies showed me that is not true. He simply needs to know that I am talking to him. In his mind, I could be talking to myself just as he does, and not expecting anyone to listen. Instead of a beep, saying his name gets his attention and helps him know that want him to listen.

On the same note, most of us rank “being heard” up at the top of our list. We get discouraged when we have something to say but no one wants to hear it. Most of the time, friends and family listen, but sometimes they are absent or wrapped up in their own problems. When that happens, we can take heart that God listens to what we have to say.

The Bible offers hundreds of verses and commands about talking to God and how He makes Himself accessible. As the psalmist says, His ears are open to our cries. He says we can ask Him for help when circumstances overwhelm us, just as the Israelites did when they were attacked by their enemies. God told them to, “Call unto me and I will answer you.”

Our problems might be perplexing but no matter how inadequate we feel, we can ask God for wisdom. He says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who give generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Notice, God never ridicules our requests or puts us down. If we are unable to do things by ourselves, we honor him by asking because He delights in helping those who call out to Him. The line to Him is always open, well, almost always.

The psalmist also says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Sin separates us from God. If we choose to rebel against Him, He shuts His ears to our demands. What can we do then?

There is one prayer that He will still listen to; it has been called “the sinner’s prayer.” This is a prayer of confession. The Bible says if we confess our sin to Him, He hears and is “faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.”

That kind of prayer or any other prayer needs no expensive equipment or technology. We can talk to God without email, telephones, Morse code, signaling devices, or walkie talkies. All we need is a humble heart that is willing to ask Him into our lives to help us, to bless us and to give us what we need in life’s situations.

Lord, so often I charge ahead and do not call to You unless I get into trouble. Help me remember to bring my day, with all its challenges, to You first. Thank You also that I don’t need a beeper because You hear me when I simply whisper Your name.

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