Take Care What You Listen To...

O be careful little ears what you hear... This song has been playing through my mind today.  Our memory verse brought it to mind...

 Our memory verse for our CBS class this week is Mark 4:24b-25:

  And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.  For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

 I have been studying it all week, trying to understand what it means ( understanding it tends to help me remember it better), and I was really having a hard time getting the meaning behind the words, so I started looking at the verse in its context and also in the Amplified Bible.

 Just before these verses Jesus gives the parable of the sower and the seeds, then He explains the parable. Following these verses He gives the parable of the Seed and then of the Mustard Seed. 

"Take care what you listen to,"... 

"Be careful what you are hearing,"...

 Do you ever wonder why some people seem to understand God's Word better, why some seem to have a deeper understanding, and some seem to be able to draw out deep insights and powerful truths that minister to hearts and bring about powerful transformations in hearts? I think this passage reveals to us why.

 "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure of (virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you - and more (besides) will be given to those who hear. For to him who has more will be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force)." Mark 4:24-25, The Amplified Bible 

 The more I think on and study the Word of God the more virtue and knowledge I will receive... And even more will be given to those who hear, to those who are listening to the voice of God! Wow! What a motivation to spend more time reading, studying, and thinking on the Word of God. Nothing else we put into our hearts and minds can produce such dividends!

What do you put into your heart and mind daily?

If you only have 30 minutes to sit down and read during the day, what do you choose to read... A blog, a news site, the newspaper, a magazine, a secular book... Do we pick these things over the Word of God? I want to choose God first...

 I have found in my life that if I choose Him first, then He takes away my desires for the things in this life that only end up drawing me away from Him.  He takes away the desire for the things He does not want me to fill my heart and mind with, and as a result I am able to focus more fully on his Spirit living in me, and am more able to hear and respond to that still, small voice. 

Luke 8:18 "therefore, take heed how you listen."