3. THOUGHTS IN 2 PETER - NUMBER THREE - A LISTENING DISCIPLINE - 2 Peter 1:18
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” “Weren’t you listening!” “Pay attention!” - a favourite of teachers. We hear these expressions often around the home and at school, though not confined just to those places. The comments have nothing to do with faulty ears but more with comprehension and attention factors.
The worse things is when people say they are listening, but they do it with closed ears, or more to the truth, they do it with closed minds. They listen and want to give you the impression that they are listening and agree with you, but have no intention of complying. We will come back to this.
Peter shares an unforgettable experience with us and pens it this way:-
{{2 Peter 1:16-18 “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but WE WERE EYEWITNESSES of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” - and WE OURSELVES HEARD THIS UTTERANCE made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”}}
How majestic was that experience and how momentous to the ears and comprehension. Peter had heard the Lord say, {{Matthew 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”}} This must also apply to us and is what I term, “A Listening Discipline.”
[A]. AN EAR AND EYE PROBLEM
The Old Testament prophets have a lot to say about intransient Israel and their continual refusal to obey the LORD and continue in His care. Their history is one of rebellion and constant sinfulness. The eyes and the ears were often referred to as being aware, with no tangible results. Here are some Old Testament passages from Isaiah and Jeremiah:-
(a). EARS THAT ARE SET IN CONCRETE. Isaiah is writing what the LORD gave him to write. This Isaiah passage was quoted by Jesus in Matthew 13:15. God knew the hearts of the people who shut their ears and eyes to God’s messages and pleading even though they were told to keep listening -
{{Isaiah 6:9-10 He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘KEEP ON LISTENING but do not perceive; keep on looking but do not understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive for THEIR EARS ARE DULL and their eyes dim, lest they see with their eyes, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.”}}
(b). OPEN EARS THAT LEAD TO NOWHERE. So much evidence of God and His displeasure against sin was evident to the people but they could not comprehend any of it. They were unable to discern rightly the hand of God. The message entered the ears and then died. It went nowhere. {{Isaiah 42:20 “You have seen many things but you do not observe them. YOUR EARS ARE OPEN, BUT NONE HEARS.”}}
(c). A STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS HEART RESULTS IN DEAF EARS. Jeremiah calls the people senseless because they refuse their God, and it is no different today where men and women absolutely refuse to listen to “any religious stuff” but scorn any attempt to talk about God. {{Jeremiah 5:21-23 ‘Hear this, O foolish and senseless people who have eyes, but do not see; WHO HAVE EARS, BUT DO NOT HEAR. Do you not fear Me?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it, but this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart. They have turned aside and departed.”}}
(d) THE CONDITION OF MAN’S HEART AND SPIRIT IS SEEN THROUGH THE ACTION OF THE EARS. Warnings of God’s impending judgement are rejected. They have shut up their ears so they can not hear. It is even worse than just refusing to listen. They considered God’s word a reproach. They stuffed up their ears. {{Jeremiah 6:10 “To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, THEIR EARS ARE CLOSED, AND THEY CANNOT LISTEN. Behold, the word of the LORD has become A REPROACH to them. They have no delight in it.”}}
Point (d) above is as bad as this episode shows – {{Acts 7:57 “but they cried out with a loud voice, and COVERED THEIR EARS, and they rushed upon him with one impulse,”}}
{{For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” –“}}
When Peter, James and John were on the holy mount they heard utterances that were profound. They never forgot those words they heard, so attuned were their ears that every word was impactful and remained. “This is” = The True One who could not be mistaken; this is precise. It is Jesus the Son of God. “My beloved Son” = The One who was sent; the Second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. “With whom I am well pleased” = {{Colossians 1:19 “It was the Father’s good pleasure for ALL THE FULLNESS TO DWELL IN HIM”}}. Of course the Father would be pleased with the Son, but I think the Father’s utterance was for the disciples’ benefit. It was imperative for them to be reminded of that fact that Jesus was the Supreme One, the Son of God.
[B]. THOUGHTS ABOUT LISTENING FOR CHRISTIANS
These points about listening for Christians I have thought of, and pass them on because in this modern world there is far too much clutter with hundreds of voices sounding out from so much media. Often people have no time to sit and think; rest and meditate.
I remember way back to the 1950s and 60s when I was travelling by tram in Brisbane, long before mobile/cell phones were thought of; long before people carried around little sound players, that we would sit quietly in the tram with a text book, and some had newspapers, or many just sat quietly.
It seems young people can’t do that today. They have to live in a universe of sound around them. They have these ear phones stuck in their ears even when working in an office. I have seen young people who can’t sit still even for a few minutes so they get out some device to listen to some modern pop rubbish on the device.
It is nothing like it was decades ago when people just sat quietly. I am reminded of a verse that is just so applicable here – {{Psalm 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”}} The AV says, “Be still and know that I am God.” So many people can’t stay still, or sit still, and are striving with music and noise from all sources. Yet we are to be silent and meditate on the Lord, and that is becoming a lost art.
[1]. IN ANY TRUE LISTENING THERE NEEDS TO BE PREPARATION
(a). LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD - that is, to allow your mind to hear what God’s words for you are. Study and read without distraction. Too many hear nothing and are ill prepared because they can’t be quiet. Consider these verses carefully:-
God gave the secret to Israel (Judah) in verse 15, and that is salvation through REPENTANCE and REST; and strength through QUIETNESS and TRUST. God knows best but in verse 16 the people refused and were going to pursue their own salvation their own way, but they would be overtaken.
{{Isaiah 30:15 Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In REPENTANCE and REST you shall be saved. In QUIETNESS and TRUST is your strength,” but you were not willing,
Isaiah 30:16 and you said, “NO, for we will flee on horses,” therefore you shall flee! “and we will ride on swift horses,” therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.}}
(b). LEARN TO LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE. Abandon judgments - (That person hurt me in the past! I don’t like the way he sings! His wife dresses too ostentatiously!). If he is not liked, he is not listened to.
(c). LEARN TO LISTEN WITHOUT PERSONAL SELF-CENTREDNESS. While nodding and saying, “Yes, yes,” the mind is away elsewhere - planning what’s coming up; mentally preparing for the evening meal; what you will do when this person leaves; on some TV program.
Listening needs to proceed from a prepared heart and the above suggestions can help here.
[2]. LISTEN WITH THE DIVINE EARS
Listen with the ears of God. That is what listening compassion is all about. The Lord always listened with compassion. The sinner received His full attention; the needy was fully heard; the Samaritan woman at the well would remember the Lord as the one who listened to her every need, proposition and counter argument. Yet it was with compassion, for only that could meet her need.
How do we get divine ears? I am suggesting it comes about being more like Christ and that is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Then I am adding that this discipline comes from being a person of the word of God.
[3]. LISTENING NEEDS TO BE WITH HUMILITY
Allow others to speak, then be gracious to listen, applying the guidelines in section 1. The one who wants to monopolise the conversation is not the one who is always listening to what others (especially more reserved ones) are wanting to say. It needs humility to overcome the determined mouth and the unfocussed ear.
I have found that at the start of attempting to say something, another person just jumps in thinking he knows what you are going to say, and can become quite aggressive. In that case there is no listening humility. Samuel knew what it was to listen with a humble composure. These two verses are instructive – {{1 Samuel 3:9-10 and Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘SPEAK, LORD, FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING,’” so Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel,” and Samuel said, “Speak, for YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING.”}}
[4]. LISTENING NEEDS TO BE WITH DISCERNMENT
Listen to discern. Try to understand the motivation and reasoning of the other person and where that one is coming from. Don’t grasp just part of the story, then try to correct or direct the person because you can often race off at a tangent. Don’t try guessing the conclusion because you will often miss the important facts. Try to understand the whole conversation in context.
One other aspect is not reacting too quickly to what you have heard. Some people race off unhinged without digesting what you have said. That lands the poor listener into trouble. Listen carefully so you can consider what you hear in proper context. Also try to understand from where the other person is coming. {{Mark 4:23-24 If any man has EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.” He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you and more shall be given you besides,”}}
[5]. CULTIVATE A GOOD LISTENING ATMOSPHERE
Cultivate the atmosphere. Be prepared to be up-front, to make the first move especially with strangers and visitors. Listen to them - that helps break down the barriers. Often outsiders want a genuine listener, and once respect is won, then your listening can begin in earnest. You are not there to outpour information in a one-way stream.
In the world there are lonely people, both Christians and non-Christians, often lonely because they are infirm and housebound. These people tend to be elderly. Sometimes no one visits them. They have great stories but there is no one to visit, so there is no one to listen. We need to be listeners if possible to these people.
[6]. LISTENING CONNECTS WITH APPROACHABILITY
Always be approachable. If one has a reputation for being judgmental, arrogant, abusive, impulsive, super quick to form opinions, or a forgetter of promises, that one is not a good listener. He will find him/herself not able to fulfill a proper advice, or counselling role. Maybe the solution to a problem lies again in Section 1.
It is the gentle man and woman people tend to migrate to if they want advice or to share a problem because they know the person will listen to them. No one wants to share with an off-handed and rude person.
[7]. TRUE LISTENING IS DESTROYED THROUGH PRIDE AND ARROGANCE
A superior pride will rob one of the privilege of sharing in others’ ideas and in a mutually uplifting communion. Some of the best wisdom and things worth listening to, come from the ordinary folk in their experience of life. The close child of God, often the older generation, is always worth listening to, for the wisdom of this world is mere foolishness, but what the world perceives as foolishness - the things of God - is always worth hearing from the saint who has had that experience. Once pride or self has an elevated position, then “lesser folk” are easily dismissed as not so significant or important enough, and PROUD EARS DON’T HEAR.
In Number [3] we mentioned the place of humility. Humility holds the hand of God and pride rejects God’s hand. We all need more dependence on God.
[8]. LISTENING TO THE SILENT SPEECH
Listening to silent speech is difficult to do and seems to be the ability of but a few. This is discernment to realize the other person is not expressing himself in words, or not properly in words, but is saying from within, “I am hurting,” or “I have a problem I feel I can’t share.” The Christian who is a compassionate and a discerning carer of human beings, is the one who can “hear” this silent conversation and act upon it. God enables certain of His own to hear this silent speech.
In the letter of James in the New Testament, God’s word teaches that we are to be slow to speak and quick to listen – {{James 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren, but let everyone BE QUICK TO HEAR, slow to speak and slow to anger.”}}
Sadly, many of us, perhaps most of us, are quick to speak and slow to listen, slow to hear. We are not good listeners and the problem is that most of us think we are!
I read somewhere of a definition of listening: It is when two people are talking and the first one stops to draw breath - that one is called “the listener”! Unfortunately, that is often how we listen.
[9]. ATTITUDES THAT PREVENT PROPER LISTENING TO OTHERS
(1). Harbouring resentment. This is a barbed wire fence, for expressed words and ideas are maimed on the fence and can never make meaningful contact with you.
(2). Bitterness of heart. This is a dangerous, raging torrent, for words and ideas are swept away and find no lodgment with you. Proper ability is lost in the flood.
(3). Unforgiveness. This is the blackness of night, for words and ideas expressed can find no home with you for they are lost in the deepest darkness.
(4). Egocentricity. This is the out-of-control robot, for words and ideas have plunged over a cliff propelled by the self determination of the one who should be listening but can’t hear because of his self programming. He who focus all to himself, might explode in failure.
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[10]. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS FROM AN INTERNET POSTER
I found this and thought it was worthwhile. I have truncated it.
“How to Hear From the Lord and Deepen Your Faith - Posted 02/18/2025 in Christian Mental Health Tips.” The author is happy to share this.
[[[ The Bible assures us that God is always speaking to us, and as His children, we have the privilege of listening to God's voice. This article outlines eight essential steps, supported by Scripture, to help you hear God speak and deepen your relationship with the Lord
[A.] GET QUIET
One of the biggest barriers to hearing from God is noise. Whether it’s the constant hum of social media, the demands of daily life, or our own inner thoughts, it’s hard to hear God when our lives are cluttered with distractions. I am convinced that Satan attacks today’s children of God not by trying to make them bad or busy, but by distracting them.
[B.] PRAY AND ASK TO HEAR FROM GOD
Jesus taught us to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). If you want to hear from God, start by praying and asking for His guidance. Approach Him in prayer with a heart full of expectation, believing that He wants to reveal Himself to you. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
[C.] WAIT ON THE LORD
Waiting is hard, but Scripture encourages us to wait on God with patience and trust, which is an essential part of the Christian life. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” We live in a fast-paced world, and waiting in silence for God to speak can feel uncomfortable. However, God’s timing is perfect, and waiting often strengthens our faith.
[D.] LISTEN INTENTIONALLY
Hearing God requires focus, intentionality, and a heart ready to receive His guidance. Jesus reminds us in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” This means that listening to God is more than simply hearing sounds or words - it’s about adopting a posture of readiness, where we are attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
When you pray, resist the urge to rush through the silence. Instead, create space for the Holy Spirit to speak, whether it’s through a passage of Scripture, a thought that arises in your heart, or a gentle impression in your spirit. By practicing active listening, you strengthen your ability to discern God’s voice amidst the noise and distractions of the world, allowing you to hear Him with greater clarity and confidence.
[E.] READ HIS WORD
The Bible is God’s primary way of communicating with us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
[F.] OBEY GOD’S VOICE
Hearing from God requires not just listening but also acting on what He says. James 1:22 urges us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” God often speaks to those who are ready to obey. If we haven’t acted on what He’s already revealed to us, why would He continue to guide us? Obedience demonstrates our trust in God, even when we don’t fully understand His instructions.
[G.] SHARE WHAT YOU’VE HEARD
When God speaks to us, it’s often for the benefit of others as well. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to be ready to share the reason for our hope. The Holy Spirit can lead us to share what we’ve heard from God in a way that encourages others in their faith.
[H.] BE OPEN TO DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
God speaks in a variety of ways, and we must remain open to hearing Him through different methods. While the Bible is the primary way, the Holy Spirit can guide us through other avenues such as:
Nature: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Sometimes God reveals His majesty and message through His creation. A peaceful walk in nature can give space for the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. ]]]
[11]. A CAUTIONARY NOTE
Listening does not always mean acceptance of what is said. It must always come with discernment for you don’t act on everything you hear or are told.
Let us again take a closer look at the Lord Jesus as He listened to the hurts of the crowds and showed compassion towards them. When you read through the Gospels watch out for this attitude in action.
Peter was one who along with the disciples, at times had the heavy ears but in the main hung on the very words of the Lord, for who else had the words of life?
