Nehemiah 1:6a “let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night,…”
PERKED UP EARS
Our family used to have a dog named Reese. He was a good dog, and we all loved him. Reese would lay in the floor near where we sat, and if we called his name, his ears would lift up and he would turn his head to look at us. Sometimes, when he was sleeping near me on the floor, I would whisper his name just to see his ears twitch. It seemed he was listening even in his sleep.
Nehemiah is beseeching Jehovah God to listen to his prayers. Remember, Nehemiah is in captivity in Babylon. He was the king’s cupbearer, a servant. He probably felt most of his life that God had stopped listening to him. But with the news of the condition of Jerusalem, he was begging God’s ear.
TEACHING MOMENT
Children need to know that they always have our ear. They need to know they can always talk to us, no matter what they may have done. They also need to know that as a child of God they always have God’s ear. This story of Nehemiah is a great story of how God heard and responded. He stirred King Artaxerxes’ heart to let Nehemiah return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. God can do ANYTHING.
Listening is an art. I often do not listen closely when my wife speaks to me. We may be watching television and I am engrossed in a show. I simply don’t hear her until she throws a shoe at me. Just kidding. She will usually ask, “Are you listening?” I need to be better about hearing her, right?
Aren’t you glad we don’t have to wave our hands and jump up and down (or throw a shoe) to get God’s attention? He is ALWAYS listening. He is always ready to respond to our need, if we come to Him with humility acknowledging His place in our lives. He wants to hear us. He wants to listen to us. But we have to be deliberate about talking to Him. Have you been deliberate lately?
A Moment In Time 