|
"So it was, when I heard these words..."
(Nehemiah 1:4)
Notice with me the first trait of a godly man: he listens well.
Nehemiah listened to the report that his brother Hanani and others gave. It was a tough report because it contained some very disturbing news about how Jerusalem was in a mess. Nehemiah 1:3 states, "They said to me, 'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.'"
Our world is filled to the brim with bad news. Men, if you live long enough, you too will be approached by someone, maybe in your family, perhaps a friend or stranger, and they will have some not-so-pleasant things to share with you. The first thing you and I have to do is listen. Now, I know as a man, for some reason, we don't do this very well. Has your wife ever said to you, "You're not listening to me?" If you are like me, you will retort, "But I was listening." But when our wives ask us what they just said, we cannot recall, because, well, we were not actually listening.
Proverbs 18:2 states, "The fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart." James 1:19 says, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
Recently, the Lord has been impressing upon me to listen more in my daily quiet times with Him. It is not easy, as I want to pray and talk, but to be still in God's Presence is a blessed thing! I spoke to a men's ministry group last week and had a great time. There were over 60 men there for breakfast, fellowship, and to hear me share a message from the Word of God. In my quiet time that day, I was still before the Lord and felt the impression of the Lord that there would be some men attending the meeting who were personally struggling with suicidal thoughts or knew someone who was. I shared this with the men and then encouraged them. A couple days later, I got an email from the leader of the group, sharing with me that there were a couple of men in attendance that either were struggling with suicidal thoughts or knew someone close to them who was. I was so glad that I listened to the Lord earlier that day.
I still have a long way to go in my listening ability. My inclination is to talk too much and listen too little. God gave us two ears and one mouth, and that tells me we should listen twice as much as we speak! Try it in your quiet time with the Lord. Simply come before Him, be still, and listen. He will speak to you preeminently through His Word, and He will also, by His Spirit, speak to you and impress upon you what He wants to say specifically to you.
Good men listen well. Lord, help us to do better.
|
Apple
Spotify
Deezer
YouTube
