LISTENING BUILDS RELATIONSHIP

Read: 1 SAMUEL 15:1-23; 16:14-23

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Bible in a year: Matthew 5-6

Hearing means capturing sound with our ears. For example, while jogging I hear the sound of birds. Listening means capturing sound earnestly. For instance, I sit quietly listening to my wife 'pour her heart out'. A person who listens when someone speaks can grasp the whole message conveyed and earn respect from their conversation partner. Conversely, a person who always focuses on themselves and talks about themselves and their own interests rarely develops relationships with others.

God wants us to be Christians who listen to His word, focus on Him, and build a strong relationship with Him. Saul's relationship with God was broken, even though God appointed Saul as the king of Israel, starting from Saul himself not listening to God's voice. God commanded Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites (v. 3), but what Saul and the people of Israel did was different from what God commanded (v. 9). At another time, Saul was willing to listen to the idea from his servants to find someone skilled in playing the harp. When an evil spirit troubled him, David played the harp, causing the evil spirit to depart and Saul felt relieved.

Listening to the voice of God through the Bible that we meditate on every day, listening to others telling us something, enables us to respond appropriately. When we become listeners who listen, we help others, develop strong relationships, and are able to meet our own needs and those of the people we listen to.
-RTG/www.renunganharian.net

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GOD WANTS US TO LISTEN TO HIS WORD, FOCUS ON HIM, AND BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

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