“And it shall come to pass, that before they call; I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24
If you haven’t figured it out yet from my photos and writings, I am a nature enthusiast and very fond of animals. There has always been some sort of furry creature involved in my life. If it was not my personal pet, then it was the pet of a friend or family. I would even go to the pet store occasionally just to connect.
Cats and I have a love-hate relationship. They are some of my favorite creatures, as they can be very calm, personable, yet pensive like me. Their drawback is that they can be very impulsive and often in a destructive manner, though usually unintentional. Those of you that have cats or have observed them can vouch that they have fascinating habits and abilities. They can jump to incredible vertical heights from standstill and land without making a sound. They can maintain the same position, almost statuesque, for an indefinite period.
This period of solace often precedes sleep or in some parlance, a catnap, one of several phrases derived from cats including alley cat, tomcat, the cat’s meow, etc. As they slumber, as many can attest, they may appear to be in dreamland, but are never asleep. A unique aspect is that their ears are always perked and unlike dogs or some other animals, who when they sleep, relax or flop their ears, cats’ ears peak at full attention. Having the ability to turn their ears completely backwards, this phenomenon also occurs during sleep in a fashion similar to radar antennae! So, while they may be asleep, they are always listening.
One day while praying, an idea came to mind regarding a seemingly unrelated matter, but I implemented it. In short time, I recall it being the same day or next; a dilemma emerged that resolved by that earlier decision. God had already provided the answer before I had asked Him and before the concern arose!
God is always listening. He hears our spoken pleas, but also the inaudible pleadings of our hearts. In this way, He intercedes before we even ask Him. God never grows tired of hearing our voices, though while He may appear to be sleeping He is always listening.
2 thoughts on “Are You Listening?”
I praise God that He always hears and knows my need. He is a gracious and merciful Father.
Thank you for this great moment of encouragement you’ve provided!
Dak Frederick
Ps 65 speaks about the country of the faithful people, an ideal society that God intended to create on earth by Israel if they would have listened to Him and most of this promises will find their fulfillment in the New Jerusalem, on the New Earth.
This promise instead, considering another promise of Jesus to His disciples, that everything they ask He will give them, is available even in this life.
We have in Is 65:24 a Hebrew parallelism where God says the same thing two times with different words that adds only delicate nuances to the idea just expressed and strengthens it. God promises to be connected with the mind, with the real needs and the legitimate desires of His disciples, of those who follow Him with faithfulness and keep His commandments with love. This promise is not for them that intentionally ignore God. For example Prov 1:28-29
“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,”
If one wants to experience fully the promise written in Is 65:24, he or she has to know that the answering to prayers by God is almost directly proportional with our obedience to Him. In other words, in the measure you listen to the Word of God, in the same measure He will listen to your prayers. In fact the rule is simple. If you ask God to fulfill His promise in your life He will surely do this, but if you ask Him not listening Him, that is, think against His will, the answer will be negative.
Beyond all this instead it is real that His ear is sensitive and attentive to the general needs of humans (Mt 5:45), but His eyes are searching on earth persons that are with all their hearts are attached to Him, (that are listening and obeying His Word in a consistent way), to sustain them (2 Ch 16:9): to give them everything they need so that thay to be able to continue on their good way of living in synergy with Him.
Iulian Sava