Needed, Hearers Who Listen
Glen Young
Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally, the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.
Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.”
The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up, saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!”
The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.”
The importance of hearing God cannot be over-emphasized. It is extremely important. The Psalmist says, “I will hear what God Jehovah will speak; ..” Psalms 85:8. And yet, we live in a world where many folks do not hear God as He speaks.
There can be several reasons for this problem. I am persuaded that some people make no attempt to listen. These are like the wayside soil in Jesus’ parable of the Seed and The Sower (Luke 8:5, 12). They allow Satan (the birds of the air) to take away the Seed (word) before it can take root. Other people are addicted to the things of the world. They seek the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the vainglory of life (1 John 2:16). They will listen, but when it comes to choosing, they choose the world (Luke 8:6, 13). Still, others are distracted by the noise and commotion of the world. There is so much going on in their lives that competes for their attention, the voice of God is choked from their minds (Luke 8:7, 14). In all of these cases, it is not the absence of God’s word but the absence of listening.
How can people overcome the flaw of hearing without listening? The answer is focus! Focus on being a good listener. Many people think if they sit quietly while another speaks, they will have heard the message. That is not always true. Hearing the message implies doing (James 1:22-25). To truly hear God amidst all the clutter, one must seek (Matthew 6:33).
Some Christians, in pondering the lack of response to the preaching of the gospel, have concluded that the problem is an over saturation of preaching. People are too familiar with the Bible, therefore, they are immune to its teaching.
I disagree! We don’t need less exposure to the Bible, just hearers who listen! Do you listen?