OUR DAILY BREAD : ON LISTENING

[cimi]

February 17
Monday


ON LISTENING

READ:
Exodus 16:1-8
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Do not be rash with
your mouth, and let
not your heart utter
anything hastily
before God.
__Ecclesiastes 5:2
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God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason," the saying goes. The ability to listen is an essential life skill. Counselors tell us to listen to each other. Spiritual leaders tell us to listen to God. But hardly anyone says, "Listen to yourself." I'm not suggesting that we have an inner voice that always knows the right thing to say. Nor am I saying we should listen to ourselves instead of to God and others. I'm suggesting that we need to listen to ourselves in order to learn how others might be receiving our words.

The Israelites could have used this advice when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. Within days of their miraculous deliverance, they were complaining (EX. 16:2). Although their need for food was legitimate, their way of expressing the need was not (v.3).

Whenever we speak out of fear, anger, ignorance, or pride__even if what we say is true__those who listen will hear more than our words. They hear emotion. But they don't know whether the emotion comes from love and concern or disdain and disrespect, so we risk misunderstanding. If we listen to ourselves before speaking out loud, we can judge our hearts before our careless words harm others or sadden our God. __Julie Ackerman Link

````````````````````````````Lord, help me to think before I speak to````````````````````````````````
`````````````````````````check my heart. Help me to control my tongue````````````````````````````
``````````````````````````and to express myself clearly so that I won't``````````````````````````````
```````````````````````````cause dissension. Set a guard on my lips.````````````````````````````````
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Words spoken rashly do more harm than good.

*************************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Exodus 16:1-8*****************************************

1 And they journeyed from
Elim, and all the
congregation of the
children of Israel came to
the Wilderness of Sin,
which is between Elim and
Sinai, on the fifteenth day
of the second month after
they departed from the land
of Egypt. 2 Then the whole
congregation of the
children of Israel
complained against Moses
and Aaron in the
wilderness. 3 And the
children of Israel said to
them, "Oh, that we had
died by the hand of the
LORD in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the pots of
meat and when we ate
bread to the full! For you
have brought us out into
this wilderness to kill this
whole assembly with
hunger.


4 Then the LORD said to
Moses, "Behold, I will rain
bread from heaven for you.
And the people shall go out
and gather a certain quota
every day, that I may test
them, whether they will
walk in My law or not.

5 And it shall be on the
sixth day that they shall
prepare what they bring in,
and it shall be twice as
much as they gather daily."

6 Then Moses and Aaron
said to all the children of
Israel, "At evening you
shall know that the LORD
has brought you out of the
land of Egypt. 7 And in the
morning you shall see the
glory of the LORD; for He
hears your complaints
against the LORD. But what
are we, that you complain
against us?" 8 Also Moses
said, "This shall be seen
when the LORD gives you
meat to eat in the evening,
and in the morning bread to
the full; for the LORD hears
your complaints which you
make against Him. And
what are we? Your
complaints are not against
us but against the LORD."