* Hearken

And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your  land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 KJV

I woke up with the word Hearken on my mind and how it pertains to relationship. Hearken is an old English word defined as "to attend to what is uttered; to give heed; to hear, in order to obey or comply." It's not just about hearing. It's not just about listening. It's doing - "to hear, in order to obey or comply." It's action response required.

One of the number one complaints in family relationships is some phrasing of, You never listen to me. Think about that for minute. I'm sure you've said it yourself... probably more than once.

Hearken is life and death. Marriage relationships die from the lack of it. Families are broken. People quit jobs when they feel they're not being heard. People's lives hang in the balance. Hear me. Eternity is determined by whether or not we hearken...

Hearken DILIGENTLY...

The Message Bible reads this way:

   From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time, both autumn and spring rains, so that you'll be able to harvest your grain, your grapes, your olives. He'll make sure there's plenty of grass for your animals. You'll have plenty to eat.

   But be vigilant, lest you be seduced away and end up serving and worshiping other gods and God erupts in anger and shuts down Heaven so there's no rain and nothing grows in the fields, and in no time at all you're starved out—not a trace of you left on the good land that God is giving you.

   Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities so that you'll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your  ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth. 
Deuteronomy 11:13-21 The Message

Throughout the Bible, we read the same thing from God. His greatest source of frustration is that we don't hearken to His voice. We know He speaks. We may even hear Him when He does. But do we hear in order to obey or comply? Or do we just offer actionless answers of faithless words? It's the infamous, I hear ya, but... Well, let me put this in the Texas vernacular for you... get the but outta there, and get your butt moving. You know - Hearken...

Prayer:

Father,

        We throw ourselves on Your mercy and grace and beg forgiveness for our hearts of rebellion in not giving heed to Your voice and Your Word. Change our hearts, Father. Forgive us, O God. Be Lord of our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen