Courting Christ: Listen to Him

I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds. Your way, O God, is holy; what god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known Your strength among the peoples. You have by Your power redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. - Psalm 77:11-15 (NASB)

We instinctively know that listening is an important skill in a marriage. In an unsuccessful marriage, both individuals are constantly talking “at” each other. They announce their needs, their desires and complaints. But a successful marriage is built on two individuals sharing their needs. That means there must be some listening going on.

What we sometimes fail to realize is that listening is also a necessary component of our devotional lives. We need to set aside time when we listen to God – when we listen for God. We often complain to God, but we rarely set aside time to listen to God’s complaints.

Oh yes, He has complaints too! Just read through Jeremiah, Amos or Habakkuk and you’ll hear some of them.

On the other hand, we are often so busy telling God we love Him that we fail to hear Him telling us He loves us! We listen so rarely that we may not even recognize His voice when we hear it!

It is only in those long, late night conversations that we can truly come to understand our God and love Him as we should. The Psalmist asked God, “Make me understand the way of your precepts, so I will meditate on your wonders…Give me understanding, that I may observe you law and keep it with my whole heart.[1]”

We usually come to prayer with the goal of making Him understand us: our needs, our desires, our plans and our ideas of how the universe should be run! Go into your prayer closet with the express purpose of coming out with a better understanding of God.

If you were to go on a date and do nothing but talk about yourself, do you think you’d have a second date with that person? If you yammer on and on about yourself to your spouse, do think that loved one is still listening? It is likely you were tuned out at some point.

Go to the Word and ask Christ, “What can I do for you?” “What do you want me to be?” Since His will is always for our good[2], and since His will is always perfect[3], it would probably be well worth your time to hear it.

Listen to your human spouse. Pay attention to your friends. But more importantly, set aside time in your day to listen to your Groom.

[1] Psalm 119:27, 34
[2] Jeremiah 29:11
[3] Romans 12:2