God's Words Are Not Junk Mail

Biblically, hearing means we are choosing to listen to God. Too many of us hear the words of our God and ignore them. We don’t respond in any particular way to Him and then we wonder why there seems to be so much distance between us and God. The answer is simple—His words to us demand and deserve an appropriate response. His words cannot be ignored or discarded as if they were a piece of junk mail.

The Christian life is not merely maintaining biblical rules but maintaining a relationship with God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning (the choicest part, the foundation) of wisdom.” –Proverbs 9:10 A man who is not in his proper place of reverence for and submission to God cannot be wise.

Proverbs directs our attention as a learner to God and those He place as spiritual leaders over us.

• 1:8 "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother."
• 1:20,23 "Wisdom [Christ Himself] crieth without........turn you at my reproof"
• 2:1 "My son......receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee"
• 2:6 "The Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."
• 2:7 "He [God] layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous."
• 3:1 "My son, forget not my law."
• 3:5 "Trust in the Lord."
• 3:7 "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord."
• 4:1 "Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father."
• 4:10 "Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings."
• 4:20 "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings."
• 5:1 "My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thing ear to my understanding."
• 6:20 "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of the mother."
• 7:1 "My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee."
• 7:24 "Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth."
• 8:1,6 "Doth not wisdom [Christ Himself] cry?......Hear; for I will speak of excellent things."
• 9:1-6 "Wisdom hath builded her house....She crieth.....Come, eat of my bread.....Forsake the foolish."
• 13:1 "A wise son heareth his father's instruction."
• 23:19 "Hear thou, my son, and be wise."

This list could go on, but I think you get the point. Never in Proverbs is a man advised to listen to his own heart or to the heart of his peers. He is warned not to listen to seductive women, to crowds and mobs, to companions bent on being destructive and wasteful, or to evil men. He is exhorted often to listen to his God and to those place in authority over us.

[These are more excerpts from Jim Berg. There is so much for us to learn. If we are to move out of the “foolishness” of our own heart and develop a renewed mind we must make it a habit of life to listen to God rather than to our own heart. The cornerstone of wisdom is a dependent and submissive heart that shows itself by giving its attention to God......LORD, please help me not to ignore or discard Your Words so casually as if it were junk mail.]