MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/14/2026
9:44 AM
My
Worship Time
Focus: PT-1 “Be Careful How You
Listen”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference:
Luke
8:16-21
Message of the verses: “16“Now no one lights a lamp and
covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a
lampstand so that those who come in may see the light. 17For nothing is concealed that
will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and
come to light. 18So take care
how you listen; for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever
does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
19Now His mother and brothers
came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20And it was reported to Him,
“Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21But He answered and said to
them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
John MacArthur writes this in his introduction to
these verses: “Listening is an important and often neglected skill. Good listeners are good friends and make for
good company. They make good teachers
and counselors. Poor, on the other hand,
want only to hear themselves talk, and even when they appear to be listening
they often are only planning what they are going to say next. Solomon described poor listeners as those who
bring folly and shame to themselves by giving an answer without fully listening
to the question (Prov. 18:13). They
cheat themselves out of the best in life’s relationships.”
(Prov. 18:13)
“13 ¶ If one gives an answer before he hears, it is
his folly and shame.”
“But while listening to other people
has temporal value, listening to God has eternal significance. Christ’s warning in verse 18, ‘Take care how
you listen,’ is a constant theme in Scripture. The command, ‘Hear the word of the Lord’ appears
about thirty times in the Old Testament (e.g. 2Kings 20:1 7 ¶ "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O
Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.6; Ps. 50:7; Isa. 1:10;
28:14; 48:1; Jer. 2:4; Ezek. 18:25).”
(e.g. 2Kings 20:16; Ps. 50:7; Isa.
1:10; 28:14; 48:1; Jer. 2:4; Ezek. 18:25)
“Then
Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD:”
“7 ¶ "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O
Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.”
“10 ¶ Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of
Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!”
“14 ¶ Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you
scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!”
“1 ¶ Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by
the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the
name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.”
“4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob,
and all the clans of the house of Israel.”
“25 "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is
not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways
that are not just?”
“In such
passages as Psalm 81:8; Isaiah 41:1; 46:3, 12; 49: 1, 51:1, 7: 55:2-3, and Jeremiah
11:4, 7; 17:20; 42:15 God exhorted His people to listen to Him.
(Psalm 81:8; Isaiah 41:1; 46:3,12; 49:1,
51:1, 7; 55:2-3, and Jeremiah 11:4, 7; 17:20; 42:15)
“8 ¶ Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O
Israel, if you would but listen to me!”
“1 ¶ Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let
the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let
us together draw near for judgment.”
“3 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the
remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your
birth, carried from the womb;”
“12 "Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:”
“1 ¶ Listen to me, O coastlands, and give
attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the
body of my mother he named my name.”
“7 ¶ Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and
his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of
rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate
themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who
has chosen you."
“2 Why do you spend your money for that which is
not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to
me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that
your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my
steadfast, sure love for David.”
“4 that I commanded your fathers when I brought
them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my
voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be
your God,”
“7 For I solemnly warned your fathers when I
brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to
this day, saying, Obey my voice.”
“20 and say: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you
kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter
by these gates.”
“15 then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of
Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to
enter Egypt and go to live there,”
“At the
transfiguration God commanded, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’ (Mark
9:7). The repeated phrase, ‘Today if you
hear His voice’ (Ps. 95:7; Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7) further emphasizes the importance
of listening to God.”
Spiritual
Meaning for my life today: To be a better listener!
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord as I and my family
are going through some very rough seas currently. Still grieving over the death of my dear
wife, and then having my grand son almost loose his life in a motorcycle crash
which did take part of his left arm and right leg. He has had two surgeries with one more to go,
and then a very long rehab to follow where he will have to learn to walk with
prosthesis. We all love the Lord and
know that He cannot make any mistakes and can lean on Romans 8:28 “And we know
that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose.”
9/14/2026
10:59 AM
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