QUICK TO HEAR

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13

In the proverbs, sometimes practical wisdom applied on earth lends to the more important spiritual wisdom required to live a victorious, abiding life in Christ while awaiting His return in these bodies of weak mortality. This maxim is one them. Answering before hearing all the speaker has to say is an evidence of impatience. One of God’s desires for His people is that patience is developed in us; and this is the purpose for trials and tribulations in our lives (Rom 5:3). We are to “be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (Jas 1:19). Every practice and discipline on earth is an application in stewardship so we may take what we’ve learned in our earthly and temporal experience and apply it to our spiritual and heavenly reality. We develop patience in courteously listening to others when they speak; yet, that’s an easy thing compared to listening to God the Father in His Word, to the Lord Jesus Christ through His atoning work, and the Holy Spirit as He guides us in all truth. Why? Because of the corruptions still remaining in our mortal flesh opposes the Spirit (Gal 5:17). Each time God’s providence brings us a circumstance to apply the truth of His Word to an instance or situation, it is to grow us in grace and strengthen us in faith so, when we pray, we have deeper union and communion with our God; when we read His Word, we have greater illumination and understanding of who He is and what He has done in, by and through Jesus Christ; when we fellowship with other believers, we see Christ Jesus in them because He has saved them by His grace; when we share the gospel with the unsaved, it is not to get or boast in resultant salvation (for every salvation is of the Lord alone), but because we have been graced with the blessed privilege to exalt the precious name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

I have two ears, but just one mouth,
For God designed it so;
So let us then be quick to hear,
In speech and anger, slow.

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Today's M'Cheyne Reading Schedule: 3/31 - Lev 2-3; John 21; Prov 18; Col 1

If you don’t have one, get a free PDF copy of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s “Daily Bread” Bible Reading Calendar by Clicking Here.

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