Good Listener

"Anna makes me so mad!" declared Kenzo. "She never listens to anyone else's ideas. And she always whispers in class. I wish she'd just sit still for one minute and listen to what someone else is saying!""Well, just be sure you don't let her keep you from listening when your teacher is speaking," said Mom. "Listening is your responsibility."After dinner, it was Kenzo's turn to read a selection for family devotions. He quickly read through the verses, then shut the Bible. "Okay, so can we pray now?" he asked, sitting on the edge of his chair. "I have homework to do.""In a minute," said Dad. "I have a praise to share. This morning, I read Ephesians 4:32 and realized that the Lord was telling me to forgive a man at work for something he had said about me. I prayed about it, and I trusted God to help me let go of my bitter attitude and forgive him. It was hard to do, but I feel so much better now.""How does God speak to you?" asked Kenzo. "He never speaks to me like that.""Could it be that you don't take the time to listen?" asked Dad."I listen," said Kenzo. "My teacher says I'm one of her best listeners.""Listening to God is a bit different though," Mom said. "God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. When we read it and listen to what it says, the Holy Spirit speaks its truth to our hearts.""Just like this morning when I read that verse about forgiveness and God spoke to me through it and made me realize that I had to do what it says," Dad added. "As we listen to God's voice in the Bible and carefully think about the verses we read, the Holy Spirit helps us understand the truth He wants us to know and live it out in our lives. But we won't know what He's saying unless we listen.""Remember how you wished your friend Anna could sit still for one minute?" asked Mom. "I think God would like you to sit still and listen to Him speak." –Nance E. Keyes