Years ago, my son ran to where I was sitting in front of a television trying to find an escape from the cares of the day. It had been a difficult twenty-four hours serving as a Navy chaplain in a large hospital. I was trying to escape from the stress and strain of being with sick and dying patients as the “Chaplain on Duty.”
Whatever he said did not register. So he said it again and then asked, “Dad, did you hear me?”
“Of course, Son, I was listening carefully,” was my reply.
Grabbing my face with his two little hands and looking into my eyes, he said, “Dad, I didn’t ask if you were listening. I asked if you heard me.” Then and there, I was taught the difference between listening and hearing.
The Psalmist recognized this difference, too. “You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them and You listen to their cry.”
What a comforting thought! His ear is always open to the cries of His children and He waits attentively to hear their voices in times of need. What a beautiful picture of a loving Father. There is nothing we need to do to get His attention.is attenti Nor is there a magical formula to use when we pray. All we have to do is to cry out to Him.
We cry and He hears. His ear is always open for our particular voice. His eyes are always on us no matter where we may be. And His heart is always sensitive to our personal needs. When we cry, He hears, He listens, He understands and He will respond and meet our needs.
Prayer: Lord, You are above us but not beyond us. You hear us when we cry and respond when the time is right. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture for Today: Psalm 10:17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
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