Casandra Martin

The sign on the storefront said Hearing Solutions. I know the business is set up to serve people who need help with their physical hearing, but as I passed by I felt a tug at my heart. I wish there was a hearing solution for my soul.

Listening for the voice of God is essential for my soul’s well-being, but it is amazing how difficult it is. Our world is a noisy place. We live with the constant barrage of media, busyness, and opportunities for entertainment, success, and satisfaction all pulling for our attention. Even when I try to be quiet, the noise is deafening. My head and my heart keep up a constant storm of to-do lists, criticisms, wish-I-was-better-ats and what-else-do-I need-to-dos. All of this noise, the noise that hits me from every side as well as the noise that fills my mind, makes it hard to hear God’s voice.

It is no accident that the core statement of faith that God gave His people starts with the word “hear.” “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) Every day, as the people remembered the Lord and recommitted their hearts to serving Him, they reminded themselves that God’s first instruction is to hear. Hearing ignites obedience. Hearing shapes perception. Hearing lets the words of God’s soak deep down into our souls and transform who we are. Hearing shapes our priorities. Hearing lets us be aware of God’s presence, see His power, and walk in His purpose.

My Jesus Resolution today is to listen. There are no hearing aids for the heart, but God teaches us how to adjust our hearing so that we can listen to His voice. He tells us to be still and know that He is God. He knows that we need to be quiet in order to balance the deafening rumbles of the world with the eternity-soaked echoes of God. He tells us to learn to recognize His voice. This comes from spending time in His presence and time in His Word. Listening isn’t easy in a world that encourages us to shout and scream and claim our place on the stage. Listening, though, is the key to unlocking the transformation that will help us look like Jesus.