Verse from Ecclesiastes

After all, God is in heaven, and you 
are here on earth. So let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 nlt

Scripture has much to say about listening, especially when it comes to God. Ecclesiastes is rather blunt: “Keep your ears open and your mouth shut” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 nlt). It reminds us that God knows a whole lot more than we do—“God is in heaven” (v. 2)—so it’s wise for us to listen to Him. A verse in Proverbs seems to resonate with the quotes from Headlee and Covey: “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions” (18:2).

What does this mean for us? As we come before God in prayer, we would do well to make time to actually listen to Him, not just rattle on with our lists of concerns and worries. And as we find ourselves in conversations with others today, we might be surprised at how our relationships deepen when we’re really listening to them, not just figuring out what we want to tell them.

Verse from Judges

The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. Judges 11:29

Although a mighty warrior, Jephthah was rejected by his half brothers and driven away from their town. They told him, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family . . . because you are the son of another woman” (Judges 11:2). “So Jephthah fled from his brothers” and settled in another area (v. 3).

Although his family rejected him, God didn’t. When an enemy made war on Israel, it was Jephthah that the people turned to for help (vv. 4-6). They said, “Be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites” (v. 6). God used and helped Jephthah to subdue their enemy (vv. 29, 32-33) and to later lead Israel (Judges 12:7).

When we’re rejected by others, let’s keep trusting and obeying God. It’s how He sees us and what He wants us to do that matters.

Verse from Psalms

“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96:4‬ ‭

Sitting in his wheelchair at a senior citizens home in Belize, a man joyfully listened as a group of American high school teenagers sang about Jesus. Later, as some of the teens tried to communicate with him, they discovered he couldn’t talk. A stroke had robbed him of his ability to speak.

Since they couldn’t carry on a conversation with the man, the teens decided to sing to him. As they began to sing, something amazing happened. The man who couldn’t talk began to sing. With enthusiasm, he belted out “How Great Thou Art” right along with his new friends.

It was a remarkable moment for everyone. This man’s love for God broke through the barriers and poured out in audible worship—heartfelt, joyous worship.

We all have worship barriers from time to time. Maybe it’s a relationship conflict or a money problem. Or it could be a heart that’s grown a bit cold in its relationship to God.

Our non-talking friend reminds us that the greatness and majesty of our almighty God can overcome any barrier. 

Struggling in your worship? Reflect on how great our God is by reading a passage such as Psalm 96, and you too may find your obstacles and objections replaced by praise.

Verse from Exodus

Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. Exodus 4:2 nlt

Moses’ shepherd’s staff was repurposed for something that would prove to be invaluable for the Israelites. God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “A shepherd’s staff” (Exodus 4:2 nlt). Moses cared for sheep for forty years (Acts 7:29-30), but his staff would now be used to shepherd his people out of Egypt. The staff was a symbol of God’s working through Moses, and as he “[performed] the signs with it” (Exodus 4:17), God’s power was revealed. As Moses stretched out his “staff toward the sky” God rained hail on Egypt (9:23) and later allowed the Israelites to pass through “the sea on dry ground” (14:16).

God repurposed Moses’ staff and role to accomplish His purposes. He’ll often use our gifts and talents in fresh ways too.

Verse from Job

[None of Job’s friends] said a word to him, 
because they saw how great his suffering was. Job 2:13

For seven days, Job’s friends were a silent presence with their suffering friend (Job 2:13). Silence tends to make us uncomfortable, so we may try to fill that void with words. But in times of great suffering (like Job’s), words alone are often inadequate to express the comfort or help that the hurting person truly needs. 

Job’s friends caused more hurt when they began to offer answers that didn’t ease his hurt, pain, or loss. We can ask God to give us wisdom to know when to speak and when to offer the comfort of a silent presence with those who are hurting.

Verse from Proverbs

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:21‬ ‭

Jane’s plans to become a speech therapist ended when an internship revealed the job was too emotionally challenging for her. Then she was given the opportunity to write for a magazine. She’d never seen herself as an author, but years later she found herself advocating for needy families through her writing. “Looking back, I can see why God changed my plans,” she says. “He had a bigger plan for me.”

The Bible has many stories of disrupted plans. On his second missionary journey, Paul had sought to bring the gospel into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus stopped him (Acts 16:6–7). This must have seemed mystifying: Why was Jesus disrupting plans that were in line with a God-given mission? The answer came in a dream one night: Macedonia needed him even more. There, Paul would plant the first church in Europe.

It’s sensible to make plans. A well-known adage goes, “Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” But God may disrupt our plans with His own. Our challenge is to listen and obey, knowing we can trust God. If we submit to His will, we’ll find ourselves fitting into His purpose for our lives.

As we continue to make plans, we can add a new twist: Plan to listen. Listen to God’s plan.

Verse from Acts

Every day they continued to meet together. Acts 2:46

Finding a like-minded church may take time, but it’s vital. Life is difficult to face on our own, and that’s why God gave us families and communities. A church is a great place to build community.

Verse from 1 Samuel

People look at the outward appearance, 
but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

When we make assumptions, we base them on external factors that may not have any bearing on the moment. It’s helpful to recall the story of David’s selection as future king of Israel. As the prophet Samuel considered Jesse’s eldest son, he thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16:6). But God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7).

Basing judgments on appearances will lead to wrong conclusions. We do well to let God do the judging. He sees the heart of the matter.

Verse from Ephesians

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:29‬ ‭

Fifty years ago, censors were allowed to delete crude terms from books before they were published. When James Jones, for example, included more than 250 vulgar words in his final manuscript of From Here to Eternity, censors eliminated 208 of them from the original hardcover edition. When the book came out in paperback, they deleted all the rest. They simply didn't want the masses reading profane words. 

Some R-rated movies today contain as many as 200 curse words—about 2 per minute. And we all know how pervasive cursing has become on television. We are being exposed to more and more verbal pollution in the flow of the average day—even from places like the church pulpit and the church softball league bench. Potty mouth pulpits! Who would have thought? 

It's time to take a stand again, beginning with our own flippancy toward foul language. Here's why:

1. It lowers the moral standards of our family. Jesus said, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart" (Matthew 12:34), which means that cursing exposes the condition of our inner person. It reveals that our hearts have grown sour and polluted with trashy words. 
2. It degrades interpersonal relationships. It robs society of its civility. Used casually, cursing is just rude. When used on purpose, it's derogatory and demeaning. Certain curse words even devalue what God created—like the divinely designed act of intercourse.
3. It sends a bad message to our children. It tells them that cursing within moderation is acceptable behavior. But as Christians, our spiritual transformation—our desire to be more like Christ—should affect our words.

Verse from Genesis

He will crush your head and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3:15

All throughout the Bible, we read how our heavenly Father’s love compelled Him to give His all to rescue us from drowning in our sin. God first declared His divine rescue plan in the garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and sinned, God cursed the serpent and said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). 

This verse refers to the spiritual battle between Satan and God’s children and how at His appointed time God would send His Son, Jesus, to redeem the world through His Son’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

Verse from Matthew

Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus used a principle for logic and interpretation sometimes called qal wahomer, Hebrew for “light and heavy.” It argues that if something is true for something less important (“light”), it’s also true for something more important (“heavy”). 

Christ used this principle to emphasize that if God cares for the birds and clothes the fields, how much more must He care for His beloved children (Matthew 6:26-30). When we trust God, we exchange our preoccupation on what’s less important for a devotion to what’s most important. 

Today, when we struggle with worry, God can help us focus on Him, knowing that He’ll take care of all our needs (v. 33).

Verses from Nehemiah

By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild 
the wall. . . . Remember the Lord, who is great 
and awesome. Nehemiah 4:10, 14 esv

Elise felt the panic rising. The book layout was due the next day, but the printer had rejected the photos. It could take days to sort it out.

“Don’t worry,” said her husband, Sam. “Let’s ask God for help. Then we’ll work through the night. This software might help us fix the photos quickly.”

As they prayed, Elise started to feel more assured. Just keep looking to God, she told herself. With this God-given peace of mind and Sam’s practical tip, she went to work—and completed the task in time.

As she did so, Elise recalled the Israelites’ mammoth task of rebuilding their city wall (Nehemiah 4). As if it wasn’t difficult enough, enemies mocked them and conspired to sabotage their work. But Nehemiah encouraged them to keep looking to God (vv. 10, 14 esv). Then he deployed the men to work on the wall and guard against attackers, with leaders behind them (v. 16). He also encouraged them, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20).

Whenever we face overwhelming challenges, let’s keep looking to God for help and strength. We can pray for wisdom to find practical solutions, take the necessary steps, and trust in God for the outcome—whatever it might be.

Verse from 1 Samuel

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭

When the prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king, Samuel saw the oldest son, Eliab, and was impressed by his appearance. The prophet thought he had found the right man, but the Lord rejected Eliab. God reminded Samuel that He “does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So Samuel asked if there were more sons. The youngest boy wasn’t present but caring for the family’s sheep. This son, David, was summoned and the Lord directed Samuel to anoint him.

Often we look at people only on a surface level and don’t always take the time to see their inner, sometimes hidden, beauty. We don’t always value what God values. But if we take the time to peer beneath the surface, we may find great treasure.

Verse from Ephesians

Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” 

In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. 

It’s a way of living where you may not get what you asked for, but you end up getting what we all really want—“a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1).

Verse from Exodus

[The Israelites’] cry for help because of 
their slavery went up to God. Exodus 2:23

The Israelites desperately cried out to God for help because they were being severely mistreated by the Egyptians, who had enslaved them (Exodus 1:11-12). Working them ruthlessly, “they made their lives bitter with harsh labor” (vv. 13-14). The Israelites must have wondered if they’d even survive the cruelty. But God heard their cries and raised up Moses to deliver them (3:4-10). Eventually God used him to rescue them and lead them out of Egypt (see Exodus 14-15).

Whether we’re feeling lost or mistreated, God is always near and His ear is open to our cries. In His time and in His way, He’ll send the help we need.

Verse from Proverbs

There is a way that appears to be right, 
but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 16:25

It’s dangerous to think that we always see what’s true—that we possess internal clarity about our lives. However, we suffer from a deadly confusion and repeatedly demonstrate that even our best wisdom—left to itself—eventually yields misery. “There is a way that appears to be right,” Proverbs says, “but in the end it leads to death” (16:25). We think we see what’s real, but too often we’re confused. Even our keenest insight is riddled with misperceptions. Even our clearest vision is still cloudy, imperfect, and often ruinous.

That’s why we need God’s wisdom (vv. 20-21). We need Him to illuminate the truth and guide us into what’s real. We need Him to lead us out of our deadly confusion and into wholeness and life.

Verse from Matthew

“‘ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭

When British drama Line of Duty concluded, record numbers watched to see how its fight against organized crime would end. But many viewers were left disappointed when the finale implied that evil would ultimately win. “I wanted the bad guys brought to justice,” one fan said. “We needed that moral ending.”

Sociologist Peter Berger once noted that we hunger for hope and justice—hope that evil will one day be overcome and that those who caused it will be made to face their crimes. A world where the bad guys win goes against how we know the world should work. Without probably realizing it, those disappointed fans were expressing humanity’s deep longing for the world to be made right again.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is realistic about evil. It exists not only between us, requiring forgiveness (Matthew 6:12), but on a grand scale, requiring deliverance (v. 13). This realism, however, is matched with hope. There’s a place where evil doesn’t exist—heaven—and that heavenly kingdom is coming to earth (v. 10). One day God’s justice will be complete, His “moral ending” will come, and evil will be banished for good (Revelation 21:4).

So when the real-life bad guys win and disappointment sets in, let’s remember this: until God’s will is done “on earth as it is in heaven,” there is always hope—because the story isn’t over.

Verse from Proverbs

In the book of Proverbs, people are often contrasted using categories such as wise or foolish, good or bad, honorable or shameful. Generosity is a characteristic of those who are “good.” Generous people desire to benefit those who’ll outlive them: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (13:22). 

The Proverbs teach us some dimensions of giving that are unexpected. For example, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (11:24). Another insight is that God takes our generosity to others personally: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” (19:17esv; see 14:31). 

Believers in Jesus view money as an investment in God’s work and His people rather than a commodity to consume. And that’s the posture of a blessed person. There’s a mystery to giving that requires participation to fully appreciate. As God supplies our needs, we can choose to live generously toward others.

Verse from 1 Kings

 “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:12‬ ‭

Several years ago, the president of a college suggested that students join her in “powering down” for an evening. Although the students agreed, it was with great reluctance that they laid aside their cell phones and entered the chapel. For the next hour, they sat quietly in a service of music and prayer. Afterward, one participant described the experience as “a wonderful opportunity to calm down . . . a place to just tune out all of the extra noise.”

Sometimes, it’s difficult to escape “extra noise.” The clamor of both our external and internal worlds can be deafening. But when we’re willing to “power down,” we begin to understand the psalmist’s reminder of the necessity to be still so we can know God (Psalm 46:10). In 1 Kings 19, we discover as well that when the prophet Elijah looked for the Lord, he didn’t find Him in the pandemonium of the wind or the earthquake or the fire (vv. 9–13). Instead, Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper (v. 12).

Extra noise is practically guaranteed during celebrations. When families and friends come together, it’s likely a time of animated conversations, excess food, boisterous laughter, and sweet expressions of love. But when we quietly open our hearts, we find that time with God is even sweeter. Like Elijah, we’re more likely to encounter God in the stillness. And sometimes, if we listen, we too will hear that gentle whisper.

Verse from Philippians

“Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one,” Paul urged (Philippians 1:27). He added, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, . . . then make my joy complete by being like-minded” (2:1-2)

The apostle Paul explains what makes a church a community: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, our communities can serve Him in harmonious fellowship with each other.

Verses from Psalm

Psalm 32 is one of seven penitential psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), where the petitioner confesses his sins and turns to God for forgiveness. David penned Psalm 51 after repenting from his sins of adultery and murder (see 2 Samuel 11-12), and many scholars believe this was also the context for the writing of Psalm 32. 

The psalmist speaks of his heavy burden of guilt (vv. 3-4) and the joy of receiving God’s forgiveness (vv. 1-2). David notes the importance of confession of sin (v. 5) rather than stubbornly resisting like “the horse or the mule” (v. 9). 

God will deal graciously with the contrite and repentant, for “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him” (v. 10). He’s promised us His watchful guidance and loving care: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (v. 8).

Verse from Numbers

The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?” Numbers 22:32

In thirteenth-century France, legend has it that a knight left his baby boy at home guarded by his greyhound dog Guinefort. The knight returned to find chaos—the crib overturned, his son nowhere to be seen, and his hound’s mouth covered in blood. Assuming the dog had harmed his son, he killed it. Afterward, he found the body of a large snake covered in dog bites—and his son unharmed under the cradle. Guinefort had saved the baby’s life. The dog’s heroism and unjust fate so moved people that they misguidedly revered Guinefort as a saint.

Scripture records a similar incident, in which an animal was unjustly punished for protecting its owner. The prophet Balaam had been hired by the Moabite king to curse God’s people (Numbers 22:4-6). On Balaam’s journey, an “angel of the Lord . . . with a drawn sword” (v. 23) blocked his path. Balaam’s donkey, seeing the danger, avoided the angel twice—only to be beaten for his efforts (vv. 23, 25). When the donkey could no longer evade the angel, he refused to move and was again punished (vv. 26-27).

Finally, God enabled the donkey to speak and defend itself (vv. 29-30), and then He opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel and heed God’s instructions (v. 31-32).

We’re not likely to hear an animal talk back to us anytime soon, but God can still open our eyes in unexpected ways. When that happens, let’s be prepared to listen.