Lenten Devotion – Listening to God

by Amy Tromba on April 7, 2025

So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own. But just as the Father taught Me, I say these things. The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him” (John 8:28-29).

I used to be an elementary school teacher, so whenever my students became rowdy- which was pretty much every day- I would ask,

“How many ears do you have?”

“Two.”

“How many mouths do you have?”

“One.”

I would then gently remind my students that we all needed to work on listening twice as much as we were speaking.

They would roll their eyes and groan, but then typically settled down to listen and participate in our lesson.

I don’t know if it’s more humorous or embarrassing to admit the many times I have rolled my eyes and groaned as an adult when God has called me to listen to Him before I speak. On multiple occasions, I have not only put my foot in my mouth but also my entire leg. It's not a pretty picture.

Thank you, Jesus, for your grace.

In John 8:28-29, we join a conversation where the Pharisees question the truth of Jesus' claims about Himself. Their motives for listening to His answers were not to change their own hearts but rather to test Him and find something to accuse Him of.

Jesus realized His time on earth was short. He understood that due to their unbelief, He would soon be lifted up on a cross and crucified. He knew that after taking His last breath on the cross, they would recognize the truth of who He was and that He only spoke what He heard from His Father in heaven.

Jesus continued speaking, “But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God…Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word…The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from Go” (vs. 40,43,47).

The crowd was furious. They accused Jesus of being demon-possessed and picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus concealed Himself, moving through the midst of the crowd. There was work He needed to complete before they could lift Him onto the cross, but it was coming very soon.

I try to imagine myself being present during this interaction. After listening to Jesus’ words, would I have believed He was who He said He was, or would I have picked up a stone to throw?

What about you? Do you listen to God when He is speaking His truth to your heart?

Listening is active, not passive. It requires a conscious effort. It is a learned skill.

A famous quote by the classical pianist Alfred Brendel says, “The word LISTEN contains the same letters as the word SILENT.”

During this time of Lent, with Easter fast approaching, I pray you will intentionally set aside a time and place to be silent before the Lord, allowing Him to speak while you listen to the truths He desires to share with you. Jesus longs for us to listen to God’s truths because He knows by doing so, “…the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).