My God Alphabet— L: Loving Listener
“Can anyone hear me? Is anyone listening?” is a cry that ispoured out millions of times, in many places, every day on this planet. At thebedside of a loved one in a hospital, in a lonely apartment, and in countless othercircumstances and venues, people long for someone, somewhere to hear his or hercry for help.
The world’s systems and cultures can be harsh and deaf to thevoices of people desperately seeking hope and answers to their unheard needs.The result is a seemingly endless line of people left feeling hopeless,forgotten, and alone.
Yet, there is One who, if called upon, will listen—and answer,if only we choose to move in faith beyond the realm of the futile thinking ofthis world. God is waiting for you and me, ready to listen to us, wherever weare. God not only hears but also listens with unfailing, incomprehensible lovefor each of us!
Take a few moments and let these words sink in:
“Listen now! The Lord isn’t tooweak to save you. And he isn’t getting deaf! He can hear you when you call!”
Isaiah 59:1
“In my distress I called to theLORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my crycame before him, into his ears.
Psalm18:6
“The LORD hears the needy anddoes not despise his captive people.”
Psalm 69:33
“The righteous cry out, and theLORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”
Psalm34:17
“For the eyes of the LORD areon the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers”
1Peter 3:12
God is the supreme, loving Listener who hears the cries of ourhearts. God, however, is not in the business of merely doling out stuff tosatisfy the whims of our hearts. Instead, God wants our hearts so that weexperience the never-ending satisfaction of His presence. God hears us butrequires that we also give Him full reign of our life and circumstances. That’swhat the essence of the word “righteous” means—we stop trying to do life on ourown, and let God’s perfect righteousness, in the person of Jesus Christ,recreate us and fill our being.
There is a well-known story in the Bible about two blind men who followed after Jesus as he walked along, calling out to him, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” I can only imagine the years of darkness and futile searching for answers that these men endured—only to come up empty. All their human efforts and hopes amounted to nothing, and finally, they came to the pivotal moment when they realized Jesus was their only hope. So they followed and cried out to Him. It was when they followed Jesus indoors that they discovered Jesus had HEARD their cries! Then He asked them a monumentally important question:
“Do you believe I am able to do this?”
It is the fundamental question of faith that each of us when wecry out to the Supreme, loving Listener of our cries for help, must answer:
“Do you believe I am able to do this?”
The two blind men answered, “Yes we do.” Jesus heard theiranswer, permitting Him to do a new work in them, both physically andspiritually. Then something beautiful happened: Jesus touched their eyes andspoke these words:
“Because of your faith it will happen.” And suddenly they couldsee!
God is able and in fact, desires to answer your requests aboveand beyond your current vision of life. He hears the deepest cry of your heartand wants to open the eyes of your heart to Him and the infinite, gloriousfuture He has in store for you. He is the God who hears you and can answer withunfailing love. I pray you understand and know this more and more, and thenrespond with faith when God asks you,
“Do you believe I am able to do this?”
God bless you!
Chris Atkins