I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Hearing vs. Listening
Throughout the pages of Scripture, there’s a word that gets repeated:
"hear," or a related word, "listen." In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "Shema" translates into English as "hear" or "listen" and is often used to emphasize the act of listening, understanding, and obeying.
Today’s culture places value on doing many things at once; we often try to listen while focusing on other tasks, which divides our focus. The sound of someone’s voice might come into our ears, but if we’re also scrolling social media, doing schoolwork, or making a meal, we might not fully understand their words.
But in the biblical context, "hearing" does not simply include sound reception; it also involves active obedience and an effort to understand.
In Mark 4:9, Jesus invites us to listen—to hear and obey, encouraging us to pay careful attention to His words: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Jesus isn't just asking us to audibly hear His words and carry on with our personal agenda; He's urging us to actively listen and obey, to live by His truth. Listening and obeying are what build our faith in Jesus Christ. Hearing the Word of God should lead to a transformed life marked by fruitfulness.
As you reflect on the idea of listening in Scripture, consider your heart and spiritual receptivity. Are you attentive to God's Word, allowing it to transform your life, or is your hearing divided, causing you to resist His call?
The Story God is Writing
Mary had quite the unique journey to motherhood. An unmarried virgin, she carried the Son of God. Mary could have easily felt lonely or isolated, but she was not alone in the story God was writing.
For decades, Mary’s relative Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah prayed and asked God for a child. After many years, God answered their prayers. When an angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world, she went straight to Elizabeth, who was a few months along in her own miraculous pregnancy.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting upon her arrival, the baby in her womb leapt and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaiming, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:42)
Keep in mind, Mary had only just found out about her pregnancy. It would have been so easy, so understandable to be overwhelmed, afraid, or distressed. Mary had not even yet wed her husband, Joseph. And yet, watch the trust and ...
