My favorite bible study of all time is Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore. There are many reasons it is my favorite. The biggest reason is every time I go through it, I am reminded of God’s incredible, inexplicable love for us and it kindles a fire deep in my soul for him. Some of the other reasons are the precious people that I completed this study with… they were new friends, but became family almost instantly. I saw God answer BIG prayers during this study and I relive it in the margins every time I go through.
Today, I began again. The introductory session is on Amos 8:11-12 when God began a famine of his word. In Amos 8:11 the word for hearing is shama. Shama is to hear intelligently often with the implication of attention/obedience. Wow. So the people were hearing the word, but they weren’t acting on what they were hearing. He stops talking because they aren’t acting.
There is a difference in listening and hearing. When we hear, we have the ability to listen to the words or sounds that are coming our way, but listening means we are taking in what is said and responding. When I would tell my kids to clean their room, they would say I didn’t hear you as an excuse for why they didn’t complete the task. What they meant was they weren’t shama, listening. They weren’t taking in what I said and acting upon it. Did they “hear” me? Absolutely, Did they obey? nope.
Are we rebellious teens when it comes to hearing God’s word? Do we “hear” it? Yes. Every Sunday or maybe even everyday we hear/read God’s word. Do we listen? Do we shama? Are we taking in what we hear and processing what is required of us in response? Are we sharing his word? or are we storing it up and letting cobwebs gather over it? Are we being obedient? Do we pay attention?
In this season of fasting, I am considering that my fast is useless if I am not shama.
Lord, please forgive me for “hearing” and not “listening”. Please open my ears and draw me in to hear your word intelligently and to obey accordingly.
Much Love Friends