I got my first pair of earbuds for Christmas! I love using them with my phone so that I can listen to downloaded books while I’m doing physical work or even dictating texts or talking with folks. I love that I just put them in my ears and can do just about anything and listen. The problem is that sometimes I will put down my phone…and walk away from it. Those earbuds don’t have unlimited range to keep me connected with what I want to be or even should be listening to. You move too far away and you lose contact with that phone. When I lost signal the first time I reminded myself that I need to stay close to the source of what I want to be listening to. And I realized that’s the way it is with our walk with this Jesus of the Bible. There are all kinds of good things that God will bring to our minds and our hearts. But if we set him aside and just walk away…we hear less and less. Jesus spoke to that one day. He said the closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given. But when we lose contact with God…even what we have had begins to slip away from us. So we are either gaining or losing. There doesn’t seem to be some kind of holding category for you and me. So put in those spiritual ear buds and stay close to the source of what you, as a follower of Jesus, ought to want to be listening to. And in those times when you wander away…just come back to him, through prayer, worship and spending some time with that Bible. And you will get a clear and continuous stream of things you will hear and will encourage and strengthen your mind and heart and soul. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Mark 4:24-25 NLT Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. (25) To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”
Mark 4:24-25 NLT Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. (25) To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”