Day 197, Year 1

Are You More Inclined to Listen or Speak?

“A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.” (Proverbs 18:2 NASB) 

“Understanding” in today’s verse, tebunah in Hebrew, previously mentioned in Proverbs 19:8, also means “insight, the act of understanding, the object of knowledge, reasons, discernment, reasonings, or skill.”

In the presence of the Lord Jesus, should believers speak more, or listen more? I believe that it is more appropriate for us to listen more and speak less before Him. But if you are going through hardships and have a plethora of stories to share with Jesus, He will surely be willing to listen to you. Generally speaking, we can consider two directions for listening more to His words in His presence. Do you spend more time reading the Bible and spiritual books, or do you spend more time praying to the Lord, talking about your needs and desires? From the time of newly believing to growing spiritually, we should absorb more spiritual truth and pray relatively less to God. For instance, I only felt the Lord’s guidance to write this series of devotionals after having read the entire Bible over a dozen times in both Chinese and English versions, as well as more than a thousand Christian books. With this foundation, readers may feel more assured in reading these devotionals. Similarly, you might consider whether you enjoy sharing your thoughts during church gatherings or prefer absorbing spiritual truth through others, and then adjust yourself.

As I write this, I have been a believer for almost forty years. I have observed a phenomenon: if believers love sharing their personal stories and needs, it seems difficult for them to know and experience deeper in faith and for their lives to be changed in Him, even after decades of believing. This is because they always feel that what they think, do, or experience is of paramount importance. Conversely, if we want to advance in faith, we need to listen more to divine wisdom and knowledge and understand heavenly things, so that we become more competent in dealing with all kinds of problems. We need a thirsty heart for His truth. Such a heart stems from a belief that, in general, what Jesus says holds greater significance than what we say. As a result, we are eager to understand everything He wants to share with us. Regardless of whether we are dining face-to-face with Him or not, we are willing to seek His truth. If we pursue this pursuit, we will surely make significant advances in faith.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you like to listen more or speak more? Is there anything you would need to improve when you face Jesus?

2) Is it your desire to absorb more spiritual truth so that you can successfully deal with all kinds of problems? Why?