He Bends Down: He Is Listening

Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. — Psalm 31:2

As I sat waiting for a friend to join me at a local coffee shop, I overheard part of a conversation from a woman who was visibly frustrated. She was a young woman, most likely in her late twenties or early thirties. A working professional. She was describing a meeting with her supervisor who for nearly twenty minutes never looked up from his phone as he answered questions, clearly multitasking and half listening.

I can see why she was so upset!

Who wants to be half listened to?

We’ve probably all done the same, in varying degrees. We try to do too much all at once. We half listen to a coworker, friend, husband, or even our kids. We are sort of there, or there just enough, but far from fully present.

While we have all been on both the giving and receiving end of this type of listening, one thing we can be confident of is that God does not listen to us this way. He is never distracted or annoyed. He is fully engaged, fully attentive, and faithful to respond.

The psalmist gave us a beautiful description of just how much God loves us and desires to listen to us. He wrote, “Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me” (Psalm 31:2). It’s staggering to think about how the word translated as “turn your ear” can also be translated as “bow down your ear.”

Imagine the King of kings, the Lord of all Creation, the One we bow down to bending His ear to us. He doesn’t listen from afar. He bends down, gets close, turns His ear to hear us. He is intimate, compassionate, and faithful to respond according to His will.

God loves us by listening to us. Even when He seems distant, He is not. He is present, faithful, and working out His purposes and promises, often in ways we can’t see.

So cry out to Him. Don’t stop seeking Him. In faith and persistence, draw near to the God who loves you by listening to you.

Father, I know You ask me to come to You in faith and with persistence. Remind me of the way You are present, active, and compassionate toward me. Thank You for loving me by listening to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• How have you seen God work in your midst when you take time to listen to Him?
• What is most encouraging about the image of God bowing down His ear to listen to you?

~ Ruth

Excerpted with permission from Settle My Soul by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk, copyright Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk.

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Your Turn

If you feel unheard by God, if you think your prayers hit the ceiling and fall to the floor, if you think He’s forgotten you, you’re believing lies. God loves to love you. He is listening, watching, and actively involved in your life even when you can’t see it. I once heard a beautiful turn of phrase that God bends down so close to listen that it’s more kiss than communication. Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full