I Will Listen

I often find myself in conversations where I’m not sure what people are saying, so I have to stop and ask the person beside me, “What did they just say?” It doesn’t make sense that I could hear the person talking but not really hear what they are saying. Thus, I am left asking another, “What did they say?” How did I miss out on the conversation right before me?

In general, most people struggle not with hearing but with listening. While we find ourselves engaged in conversations with others, our inner dialogues with ourselves often keep us preoccupied and distracted. Thus, we often miss out on what others may be saying. Our days are filled with noise. Phones buzz, emails pile up, schedules overflow, and even in our quiet moments, our minds keep racing. Distraction has become so normal that silence feels strange, even uncomfortable.

In the midst of this, how do we discover God’s voice? Psalm 85:8 reads, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his faithful people— but let them not turn to folly.” Listening is more than just hearing. We can hear sounds all day long without ever paying attention. But listening requires focus, humility, and the willingness to let what we hear shape us. The psalmist makes a commitment: “I will listen to what God the Lord says.” It’s intentional, not accidental.

And what does God say? He speaks peace. In a noisy world filled with division, anxiety, and fear, God’s word to His people is not chaos but shalom—wholeness, reconciliation, and calm. Yet the psalm also warns us: don’t turn back to folly. Peace isn’t automatic; it flows from a heart that is faithful, surrendered, and attentive.

Too often we rush through life without pausing to hear God’s voice. We may even pray, but our prayers can become one-way conversations where we speak without listening. But when we stop, breathe, and listen—through Scripture, through silence, through the Spirit’s nudging—God speaks peace into our restlessness.

In Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic The Little Prince, there’s a tender scene where the Little Prince meets a fox. The fox asks to be “tamed,” explaining that when someone is tamed, they become unique and important to each other. But this relationship only happens through time, attention, and listening. The fox tells him, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

This mirrors the psalmist’s words: “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his faithful people— but let them not turn to folly.” Listening to God isn’t just a matter of hearing sounds; it’s about letting His voice move past the surface and into our hearts. Just as the Little Prince had to slow down, sit with the fox, and truly listen to enter into friendship, we too must make space for God’s voice in the midst of distraction and noise.

The fox’s wisdom reminds us that the deepest truths can’t be grasped with the eyes—or even with hurried ears—but only by attentive listening of the heart. God’s peace doesn’t come in loud announcements or flashing signs; it comes quietly, to those who make the time to be still and listen.

The psalmist reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Stillness is more than just the absence of movement; it’s a posture of the heart. It means creating space where God’s voice can rise above the clutter. When we are always distracted, we miss the peace, guidance, and comfort God longs to give.

Listening is not automatic—it requires intention. Just as Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16), we too need to carve out moments away from the clamor. Even a few minutes of quiet can be holy ground where God meets us.

Be still. Breathe. Listen. God is speaking. God has something to say. Just for you. Just for me.