02/14/2021 Be Still and Listen
Scripture of the Week Mark 9:2-9
How do we learn about new things? There are lots of ways. I'm not talking about where we learn, like school or Sunday school. I'm talking about how we learn. We must use our 5 senses. Do you know what they are? God gives them to each of us when we are born.
See
Hear
Touch
Taste
Smell
They are the ways our body learns. Sometimes some of these might not be able to do their job. When that happens, the other senses work even harder to get you the information you need to learn about your world.
You might have noticed that "talking" isn't one of your senses. That doesn't mean it isn't an important way to communicate. It's a great way to give someone else information (teach), but it's when we listen that we take in information (learn). By the way, reading is another way we can listen, but with our eyes instead of our ears. Have you ever seen the way a blind person reads? They read by touch instead of sight. See how the senses all work together. Amazing isn't it. God thought of everything!
What you have just learned should help you understand why your parents, teachers, and others might ask you to stop talking and listen. They need to get your attention so you can learn about something new.
In our Scripture today we saw Jesus take 3 of his disciples, Peter, James and John, up to the top of a mountain where they were far away from everyone. A cloud came and covered the sky above them. Do you think this cloud might have come so they wouldn't be able to see very well and their ears would work harder? Hmmm. The voice of God came out of the cloud and said, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
The Bible is telling us how important it is to listen to the words of Jesus. When they were quiet and listened, they could learn what Jesus was teaching them. In this Scripture, God doesn't ask us to listen. No, He commands us to.
So please remember how important it is to listen. Spend lots of time just listening and see what you can learn. You can listen to your parents, teachers, coaches, doctors, and even your friends. What other things can you listen to? How about the wind, rain, waves, birds, and animals? We can learn from those things too. There is one more thing you should always listen to and it is the most important of all. Can you guess what that is? It's the Holy Spirit that lives inside each one of us. When you are still and listen, you can hear God speak to you and His words are the best lessons you will ever learn.