Our soon-to-be 13-year-old grandson was chauffeuring me in their family’s golf cart on a backcountry gravel road. He did a better job of driving than I would have at that age, but still needed some gentle directions.
- There were times he completely removed his hands from the steering wheel.
- On a couple of occasions, he turned the steering wheel right and left much to my dismay.
- He intentionally aimed at potholes.
Our grandson is on the autism spectrum, and I took that into account. Still, there were a couple of times when I told him how to drive in no uncertain terms.
I think at one point I even said, “Listen to me.” It is one thing for an old grandfather to say, “Listen to me,” but when it is God, we must give Him our full attention.
Three times in seven verses the Lord tells His people, “Listen to me.”
Listen and Discover Hope
Rudy Ross reminds us in today’s video that for 2,000 years Israel was a barren wasteland. When Jewish people returned to the land, the prophecy of Isaiah became a reality.
During the barren years, God encouraged His people to listen to His promise of faithfulness.
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah, who bore you,
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song. (Isaiah 51:1-3)
The other day, I encouraged a sad and discouraged person with one of my favorite phrases. I said, “You are a star.” What I meant was this person is a star to me. As they listened to me, a brightness came to their eyes.
Remembering who we are and our faithful past can be very helpful in difficult times.
Besides looking to the past and present, we can look to God’s future. Every follower of the Lord can look to a glorious future.
God says, “Listen to me, because I have a promise of comfort so rich that you will break out in grateful song.”
We must listen to the Lord, because His promises must be received in faith. We trust God and rely on the future He will provide.
Listen to Me—Justice and Light
My wife and I watch the evening news on a daily basis. As faithful news junkies, we are quite familiar with all the plaintiff’s attorneys in Kansas City. The sheer number of these expensive commercials is emblematic of how people feel about their right to justice.
Once again, God says, “Listen to me.” He commands people who feel mistreated and oppressed to listen to what He intends to do on their behalf.
Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation,
for a teaching will go out from me
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
I will bring near my deliverance swiftly;
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look at the earth beneath,
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats,
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never be ended. (Isaiah 51:4-6)
If we listen to God, what will we learn about His work in our situation?
- God’s teaching will go out, and His justice will light the paths of the people.
- Rather than exploitative rulers, God will use His mighty arm to rule and bring freedom from oppression.
- The mighty leaders will die like gnats, but God’s deliverance will never end.
If you are living in an unjust place, exploited and oppressed by those more powerful than you, faith needs to be exercised to grasp the good news of God’s activity.
God desires to shake us out of our spiritual funk and calls out to us, “Listen to me!” If you can identify with any of these issues, His call is for you today.
Listen to Me—Not Them
Who are you listening to? What voices have gotten into your head?
Our soul has three enemies: the world’s system, our human failings and tendency to sin, and demonic forces. All three of these enemies want to occupy our thoughts.
God knows how true this is and tells us, “Listen to me.”
Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
you people who have my teaching in your hearts;
do not fear the reproach of others,
and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my deliverance will be forever
and my salvation to all generations. (Isaiah 51:7-8)
The enemies of our soul have a destiny; they will be moth and worm food. If they are no match for a moth or a worm, why should they trouble our hearts?
Rather than listening to these three sources of rebellion and pride, let’s bring God’s teaching into our hearts. His forever deliverance and salvation will be ours, rather than the moth-eaten remains of grossly inferior ideas.
Every day, we have an opportunity to listen to the Lord and bring His word into our hearts. A prayerful reading of the Bible is a great way to do this. Let’s remember that to “hear” in the Bible also implies that we will obey.
Reading + Praying + Obedience = God’s Deliverance.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
Real Voices 