Listening Matters 要聆听

[Dexu Xia]

I will listen to what God the Lord says.  Psalm 85:8

 “Come at once. We have struck a berg.” Those were the first words Harold Cottam, the wireless operator on the RMS Carpathia, received from the sinking RMS Titanic at 12:25 a.m. on April 15, 1912. The Carpathia would be the first ship to the disaster scene, saving 706 lives.

In the US Senate hearings days later, the Carpathia’s captain Arthur Rostron testified, “The whole thing was absolutely providential. . . . The wireless operator was in his cabin at the time, not on official business at all, but just simply listening as he was undressing. . . . In ten minutes maybe he would have been in bed, and we would not have heard the message.” 

Listening matters—especially listening to God. The writers of Psalm 85, the sons of Korah, urged attentive obedience when they wrote, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him” (vv. 8–9). Their admonition is especially poignant because their ancestor Korah had rebelled against God and had perished in the wilderness (Numbers 16:1–35).

The night the Titanic sank, another ship was much closer, but its wireless operator had gone to bed. Had he heard the distress signal, perhaps more lives would have been saved. When we listen to God by obeying His teaching, He’ll help us navigate even life’s most troubled waters.

In what ways will you stay attentive to God and the Scriptures today? How can doing so help you to help others?

Father, help me to stay close to You in my thoughts, words, and actions. Please use me as Your servant to bring Your hope to others.

 我要听上帝耶和华所说的话。—诗篇85篇8节

在1912年4月15日凌晨12点25分，卡帕菲亚号的电报员哈罗德 · 科塔姆（Harold Cottam）收到正在下沉的铁达尼号发送的讯息：“快来救援，我们撞上冰山了！”卡帕菲亚号成为第一艘赶往事故现场的邮轮，拯救了706人的性命。

几天后，在美国参议院公听会上，卡帕菲亚号的船长亚瑟·罗斯特龙（Arthur Rostron）作证说：“整件事完全是巧合。电报员科塔姆当时是在自己的船舱里，并非在执勤。他只是一边换衣服，一边听无线电，可能再过十分钟就会上床睡觉，而我们也就不会听到这个求救的讯息了。”

聆听确实很重要，尤其是聆听上帝的话。诗篇85篇的作者（可拉的后裔）劝勉我们要专心听从，正如他说：“我要听上帝耶和华所说的话，因为祂必应许将平安赐给祂的百姓、祂的圣民；他们却不可再转去妄行。祂的救恩诚然与敬畏祂的人相近”（8-9节）。这番忠告格外令人警惕，因作者的祖先可拉背叛上帝而在旷野灭亡（民数记16章1-35节）。

铁达尼号沉没的那个夜晚，虽有另一艘船离他们更近，但因电报员已经就寝，以致未能听见那迫切的求救讯息，否则或许还有更多人能够获救。当我们聆听并遵从上帝的教导时，即使行经人生最危险的水域，祂仍能指引我们继续前行。

今天，你要用什么方式留心聆听上帝对你说的话？
这如何装备你去帮助别人呢？

天父，求祢让我的思想、
话语和行为都能合乎祢的教导。我是祢的仆人，
求祢使用我，将祢所赐的盼望传给别人。