Speak and Listen

Isaiah 50:4-5 says,

The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.
The Lord God has opened My ear;
And I was not rebellious,
Nor did I turn away. 

The above verses have reference to the coming Messiah, who will provide hope and comfort to the people of Israel and all who believe in Him in the time to come. 

When I read these verses the first time, I did not notice the capitalized 'M' in the words "Me" and "My", hence I had thought that they referred to us, the disciples of God. But it is also true, that as God's servant, I must know how to comfort those who needs it and to listen wisely to the world as well as to God's word. 

It requires wisdom to speak the right word at the right time, especially to those who are in distress because we may not truly understand what they are going through. It is easy to say, "I understand your predicament", but often I question myself how much do I really understand if I have not experienced the same. Empathy is a feeling often misquoted.

The world is bombarding our ears with its views daily, and who amongst us can claim that we listen to God more than we listen to the world? Let's say, if I spend 30 minutes on my daily bible reading, I would be spending  15 hours and 30 minutes listening to the news, CSI: New York, Desperate Housewives, the radio, conversations of colleagues, the latest goings-on of family members and other what-nots, on the assumption that I sleep 8 hours (which is a luxury) a day. I am now asking myself this question, "Who influences my thoughts more? God, or those around me?"

Indeed, to speak and to hear as the learned is not as simple as I think it was.