Page 24 - Living Light 88

Mon March 24 - What you listen to and how you listen
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; turn your ear to my words of insight.
Proverbs 5:1
Proverbs chapter 5 starts with an important summons: ‘My son, pay attention to my words of wisdom; turn your ear to my words of insight.’ Whether Solomon is literally addressing his sons or using a term of affection to speak to all young men, the call to pay attention is clear and emphatic. “Sit up, look this way and listen,” demands the teacher; “Listen up,” shouts the sports coach; “Attention!” barks the army sergeant.
Hebrews 2:1 urges us to ‘pay attention to what we have been taught’ from God’s word. So, we are to listen to God’s word in a world where so many clarion calls bombard us from the sidelines, always seeking to lead us astray. And the attention we give to God’s word should not be casual or half-hearted. When I have spoken to groups about reading the Bible or listening to sermons, I have encouraged them to metaphorically ‘sit on the edge of one’s seat’, straining every sinew to hear what God is saying. Or as Proverbs 5:1 puts it: ‘turn your ear to my words of insight.’ What is being called for is ‘active listening’. My wife sometimes says, “You’re not listening to me”, whereupon I repeat her last words back perfectly. She’s sometimes right though; I’ve heard, but not really listened.
Lord God, please enable me to develop a listening ear and a heart obedient to your word of life. Amen.
Tues March 25 - Who you listen to & dangerous snares
For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey... but in the end she is bitter as gall... Proverbs 5:3-4
When a 14th century traveller called John de Mandeville was visiting near the Dead Sea he saw a beautifully appetising fruit, but when he tasted it he said that, in his mouth, ‘it turned to smoke and ashes.’ Our language is full of imagery which speaks of the allure of something you don’t possess and then the disappointment of gaining it: ‘The grass is greener on the other side.’ In Proverbs chapter 5 Solomon is very clear in warning us about the beguiling appeal of an illicit relationship: ‘the lips of an adulterous woman drip with honey.’
It is easy to be ‘sweet-talked’ into getting too close to someone other than your spouse. The truth is, such intimacy is contrary to the word of God and so often turns into bitter gall. I have seen too many Christians, including church leaders, whose faith and effectiveness have been shipwrecked because they have succumbed to a sinful dalliance with another woman or man other than their spouse. It is partly because of this danger that the Apostle Paul alerts Timothy to the need for faithful Christian leaders to live faithfully with their spouse and demonstrate exemplary family relationships. Let us all be alert to the dangers posed by inappropriate relationships, and also pray for our Christian leaders in this regard.
Loving Father, please keep my heart pure and my relationships faithful and true, for your glory and for my benefit. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
22
PRAYER FOR TODAY