Are you listening? Many conflicting voices compete to be heard today. Who are you listening to? For example, in the pandemic crisis leaders must choose whom to listen to among their many experts. They must choose which advisor to heed. Likewise, as citizens must also choose whom to listen to and follow. And that’s just one segment of our lives.

Drama is heightened through constant reminders that our choice may determine life or death. Whom we listen to determines our quality of life—for today and future life on earth.

How much more is that true in the spiritual realm. Our choices determine our eternal destination as well as earthly matters.

In the middle of the pandemic, it’s important that we listen to our God, not just the cacophony of voices around us. Throughout history, when believers have been in crises, it’s usually because they haven’t been listening to God. In response, He says, “Listen to Me! Hear, O My people!”

Psalm 81 reveals God’s frustration when His children fail to hear His voice. It’s an apt word for today too.

Verse 8: “Hear, O My people, and I will  admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!” (Ps. 81:8) Note the identity, love, and compassion in His words, “O My people”, and the frustration—desperation?—in “O Israel, If you would listen!”

Our God wants the best for us. He’s instructed us about the path to prosperity and warned of the path to trouble. But if we don’t listen to Him, how can He direct us? He has chosen to allow us to make choices rather than treat us as puppets to keep us in the way..

Verse 10: “I the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

First, He reminds us that He is the answer. He’s Lord, your God, the One who saves from trouble, even bondage. But what’s the open mouth about?

Picture a baby bird with an open mouth. That’s us when we’re rightly related to the Lord. We’re little bits of helplessness. We can’t do anything, but we do have big mouths that open wide. And we have a big God that’s promised to guard us, lead us, and provide all our needs. He told us to pen our mouths and He’ll fill them with goodness.

But we must open our mouths. A wide open mouth is a picture of expectant dependence on Him.

Verse 13 repeats the frustrated refrain, “Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!”

This verse adds understanding that we miss in the translation from the Hebrew. The words for listen and hear mean more than just hearing. In the Hebrew, hearing includes understanding and obedience. When God says, “Listen to Me,” or “Hear Me,” He is also saying, “Walk in My ways, obey me. Act like My children.” The thought is repeated in this verse through the use of “listen” and “walk in My ways.”

Verse 9 essentially says the same thing, “Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god.”

If we’re not listening to the God who made us, what strange god have we put before Him? How do we invest our time and energy? Who/what are we listening to and following?

Verses 13-14: “Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.”

If we turn back to the living God, He will defeat those who are against us/Him. He will subdue our enemies—even the microscopic virus that brought us to our knees. (Does that mean that it will hang around until we do listen?)

In the midst of the cacophony of life, it’s easy to be distracted. But our God knows we get distracted. How many times in verses 8 -13 have we been reminded to listen to God? This is important.

Verse 15: “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, and their time of punishment would be forever.”

“Those who hate the Lord” seems like people who are hostile toward Him, but this refers to the hypocrites in the church, those who pretend obedience—but aren’t listening!.“Their time of punishment will be forever”! That sounds harsh, but keep reading; God still loves us if and when we’re pretenders.

Verse 16 “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

His desire is to bless even hypocrites, those who pretend obedience while they follow other gods, who say they follow, but they aren’t listening. He wants to pour His finest on all His children.

His desire is that we all be like little birds, with ears open to listen and mouths open wide to receive from Him. He wants to rescue us from the enemy. But first, He needs our attention.

Our hearts are deceptive. It’s easy to slide off the path without realizing it. Easy to become districted and assume we’re hearing Him when we aren’t.

It’s time to ask, “Am I listening?” Who am I listening to?