"Are you Listening?"

Last Friday we were doing the Bible readings in Proverbs 13 with a couple of friends, and found that it tied in perfectly with what we had been talking about just moments before about how important it is to discipline our children.


The verse in Proverbs was: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
(Proverbs 13:24)

We laughed at the coincidence and looked up other references that spoke about correction being done out of love for the child. It turned out to be a very fruitful discussion.


Then the very next day this point was reinforced in the most dramatic way.

My family and I had gone to a charming little tourist town in our area where we enjoyed the warm sunshine, ice-cream cones and exploring all the delightful stores that are there (especially the book store!). On the way back to our car we were walking behind a large family of aunts and uncles, grandmas and cousins... and one little brown haired girl.

This little girl did not listen to anybody.

When her parents told her to stay with them, she would run ahead. When her grandmother tried to cajole her to hold her hand, the little girl tried to walk in the road. When her uncle asked if she wanted to ride on his shoulders, she wanted to climb up some stairs. Then, when she was told that they were not going up the stairs and to stay on the sidewalk, she stuck out her bottom lip and walked in the parking lot next to the side walk.

It was the grandmother who spotted the danger first. She called out to the girl. Then the girl’s mother saw it and cried out to her in fright. The little girl’s father ordered her to come to them. There was fear in their voices and panic in their hearts.

And the little girl turned her head and asked them "Why?"


She hadn’t seen the car.


At the very last moment, just as it seemed that the worst was going to happen, the driver in the car saw her and slammed on his breaks.


The parents were powerless to help their child, because she did not respect them.

Why should she listen to them? She would much rather do what she wanted to do.

We teach our children to listen to us because we love them. So that we can keep them safe and happy. We also teach them to listen to us so that they will learn to listen to God.

As a verse in Proverbs puts it:
“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”
(Proverbs 19:18 - KJV)

Or as the NASB puts it:

“Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death.”

To listen to God is life.

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which YHWH your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear YHWH thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.” (Deut 6:1-2)


We need to teach our children to listen.


But are WE listening to our Father?


The verse in Deuteronomy that is quoted above says that we need to listen and do as he commands.. and then teach it to our children.

So God could very well ask us:

"Are you listening?"