The Daily Devotional of The Upper Room of Nashvillem, Tennessee, United States "Listening" for Sunsday, 10 April 2016 with Scripture Psalm 81:8 (7) You called out when you were in trouble,and I rescued you;
I answered you from the thundercloud;
I tested you at the M’rivah Spring [by saying,] (Selah)
9 (8) “‘Hear, my people, while I give you warning!
Isra’el, if you would only listen to me!
10 (9) There is not to be with you any foreign god;
you are not to worship an alien god.
11 (10) I am Adonai your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth, and I will fill it.’
12 (11) “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Isra’el would have none of me.
13 (12) So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to live by their own plans.
14 (13) How I wish my people would listen to me,
that Isra’el would live by my ways!
15 (14) I would quickly subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
16 (15) Those who hate Adonai would cringe before him,
while [Isra’el’s] time would last forever.
The LORD says, “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!”[Psalm 81:13-14 (NIV)]
One day, during an argument with my husband, he said, “Sweetheart, you are always right, but you don’t listen to me.” That was a wake-up call for me. All the seminars or marriage workshops emphasize communication skills — especially the importance of listening.
As I reflected on this, I discovered that the reason I did not listen was because I was focused on myself. My pride wanted to prove that I was right and that my husband was wrong. I needed to learn to put myself in my husband’s shoes and listen to his point of view. After all, the Bible teaches us to “be quick to listen [and] slow to speak” (Jas. 1:19).
Listening is also important in our prayer lives. If prayer is conversation with God, then we will listen to what God is saying to us. It may well be that when we listen to and obey God, God will do for us as he promised Israel — to subdue any forces that are hindering us.
So the next time we pray, we can focus on God, not on ourselves and our circumstances. Our prayers may not always produce the answers we seek, but our lives can be transformed by listening to God and then obeying God.
Read more from the author, here.
"Learning to Be Gentle"
At home, I used to bump into the furniture often. My husband frequently got hit by my pointed elbow when I rolled over in bed. At the grocery store, sometimes my shopping cart would block other people’s way or run into other carts. I was so embarrassed, and I was constantly having to say I’m sorry.
To be gentle is not natural for me, even though I’ve been trying to learn it since I was young. Even when I was not young any more, I still had to pray to Jesus to give me the spiritual fruit of gentleness. One day, my husband saw a bruise on me after I bumped into the bookshelf. He suggested that we should go to learn ball room dancing together. He thought it might help me to move more gracefully through practicing the harmony of dancing.
After a period of time, the result was beyond our expectation. Through practicing, we spent more time together. It not only added some extra sweetness into our marriage, but also helped me pay attention to the movements of my hands and feet. Because I considered the mutual dynamics with other people and environment, the chance of bumping into each other was gradually reduced.
This experience also inspired me to examine my own heart. Did I speak gently to others? I’m a straightforward person with a loud voice. It might be easy to cause unnecessary misunderstanding when I speak. Speaking gently not only can improve communication, but also can turn argument into harmony. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Titus 3:2 teaches, “To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” What great wisdom I can learn from!
“Paying attention” and “considering others” are the two great insights I learned through this process. When I’m not self-centered, I will pay attention to consider other people’s situations. Naturally, it will help me to think, speak and move gently. In fact, gentleness begins with my heart. 1 Peter 3:4 says, “Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” What an inner beauty gentleness is!
I’m still learning to be gentle. Every day, I reflect on myself to see whether I’m gentle to others or not. My husband is so joyful to see my progress. Being gentle is often better than always seeking to be right in marriage. Give thanks to our great God! He not only helps me learn to be gentle through dancing, but also gives a great model for me to emulate. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). I believe that I will be more like our Lord day by day![Tracy Hsu Jensen, Check out Tracy Hsu Jensen’s Facebook page here.
The Author: Tracy Hsu Jensen (California, USA)]
Thought for the Day: Listening is an expression of love for God.
Prayer: Almighty God, help us to listen to your voice with our hearts, our minds, and our spirits. Amen.
Prayer focus: Married couples
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