Over my years of teaching communication, one of the favorite subjects I taught was listening.  I don’t know why.  My wife tells me often that I am not very good at it.  Guess why…I am always talking.   She is a much better listener than I am.  I admit it.  What is required to be a good listener?  Well there are many things, but one of the most basic is honest regard for the message of the other person and the ability to put one’s thoughts on hold.  In short, shut up and let someone else talk, really making a mental effort to comprehend the message of another.

In the context of Pastor Idleman’s book AHA, he states that the Lord warns us about the problems we are about to have.  Chronicles 36:15 is cited: “And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them…” NKJV.  God does not want us to fall.  God does not want us to suffer.  God wants the best for us.

Sometimes we just don’t accept His best.

We just don’t listen, especially to those early warning messages.  Life is too hectic, we are all wrapped up in our own desires, we are too tempted and the list goes on and on……

One of the basic problems in listening is the booming buzzing environment we all live in.  Our minds jump from one idea to another, from one stimuli to another and we don’t stop to listen.  Life today is constant physical and mental movement.

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”   In the Book of Psalms we encounter this command that we all need to listen to,  a message we need to have honest regard for.  In Isaiah 55:3 we find another, “Incline your ear and come to Me.  Listen that you may live.”

Why does God do this for us?  Look at the end of Chronicles 36:15  …”because He had compassion for His people.”

He loves us