Discerning God’s voice through humility, faith, and obedience
Did someone say March? Noooo — I’m not ready 😞 Who’s ready? Actually… don’t tell me 😔😅 Just kidding 😁
As much as I’d love to slow time down ⏲️, there’s really nothing you or I can do about it, right? 🤷🏾♀️ Time keeps moving — along with all its little reminders, like growing older 😅 — whether we approve or not. Still, I hope your final week of February 2026 goes beautifully.
My baby turns 21 in March, and honestly, I’d like this week to slow right down… because from next month onward, I’ll officially be the mother of grown adults 😭😭 Where has the time gone, truly?
All that aside, aligning with February’s theme word grounded — which I reflected on in Week 6 — followed by God’s enduring mercy and love in Weeks 7 and 8, this week I want to share about listening. It’s a trait I’ve only really begun to master in recent years 🙌. Ask my family — they’ll happily confirm I was never known for being a good listener! Age and time have softened me, yes, but more than anything, the Word of God has gently convicted my heart to listen more and speak less.
Bible reading 📚
Luke 22:31-32 NIV
[31] “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. [32] But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Reflection 🙌✝️
Each time we turn to Scripture, it meets us anew. Familiar verses somehow carry fresh meaning, speaking differently to the season we are in. Reading the above verses I found myself pausing and reflecting – what struck me most was this: Satan asked Jesus. He sought permission before acting against God’s people. Immediately my mind went to the story of Job — especially Job chapter 1 — where we see the same reality unfold. Even in spiritual warfare, nothing happens outside God’s knowledge or sovereignty.
That realisation alone is both sobering and deeply comforting.
Returning to Luke’s account, I began to wonder: what if Simon Peter had truly listened — not just heard Jesus’ words, but discerned their weight? Jesus gives clear cues: “Satan has asked…”, “to sift…”, “but I have prayed for you…” These were not casual statements; they were loving warnings wrapped in intercession. Would Peter’s story have unfolded differently if he had fully grasped what Jesus was saying? Soon after, in the same chapter, we read of Peter denying Jesus three times, just as foretold.
It is also striking that Jesus calls him “Simon, Simon” — repeating his old name — before later referring to him as Peter when predicting his denial. We read in Matthew 16, Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, the rock upon which He would build His church. So in this moment, it almost feels as though Jesus is addressing both the old and the becoming: Simon, the fragile human; Peter, the redeemed disciple still being shaped. And when Peter finally realised what he had done, Scripture tells us he wept bitterly — the tears of a heart awakened too late to what it had failed to hear.
Peter’s story reminds us that our lives are safely held in the Saviour’s hands when we place our trust fully in Him. Even Satan listens to Jesus’ authority — yet he works tirelessly to drown out God’s voice in our lives. Distraction, fear, pride, noise, and self-reliance often become the very things that keep us from truly listening.
When we are grounded in faith, the next step is learning to listen — to listen well. When we fail to do so, we often search for answers in the wrong places, just as Peter learned through painful experience.
If we are honest, we often listen in ways that pull us away from God’s heart:
* we listen to judge rather than to understand;
* we listen to reply rather than to truly hear;
* we listen to condemn rather than to forgive;
* we listen for self-pity rather than opportunities to bless others;
* we listen to mock rather than to share in joy; and
* we listen in ways that harden our hearts rather than lead us to repentance!
From a grounded place in God, listening must look different and scripture gently teaches us to:
* quieten our minds to hear God’s voice — “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)
* open our ears to receive His Word — “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:9), and
* soften our hearts to accept His guidance (Hebrews 3:19)
And as we continue reading into Luke chapter 23, we encounter a powerful contrast — a man who listened at the 11th hour. Amid the suffering of the cross, one of the criminals recognises who Jesus is. While the other one mocked, he rebuked him and acknowledged both his own guilt and Christ’s innocence:
Luke 23:40-43 NIV
[40] But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? [41] We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” [43] Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This criminal did more than speak — he listened and he heard. Somehow, through the chaos, he heard the story of Jesus, recognised truth, and responded with humble faith. And Jesus answered him with grace beyond measure: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Where Peter momentarily failed to listen and fell, this unnamed criminal listened in his final moments and was saved. The difference was not perfection, status, or timing — it was a heart willing to hear.
So, my friends, let us make it our daily posture to listen for God’s voice, to hear what Jesus is speaking into our lives, and to allow the Spirit of God to guide our walk of faith. And as we learn to listen, may we also share His good news boldly, so that the world may come to know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Lord.
Listening is more than a skill; it is an act of surrender — choosing stillness over noise, humility over certainty, and obedience over impulse. Like Peter, we may stumble. Like the criminal on the cross, we can still turn and hear. And in His mercy, Jesus meets us both in our failures and in our faith, calling us always back to Himself.
Prayer 🙏
Heavenly Father, Almighty God, we thank You for Your unfailing grace and enduring mercy that sustain us each day.
Lord Jesus, we thank You for continually interceding on our behalf and for the sacrifice You made on the cross, bearing our sin and shame so that we may have life.
We pray for wisdom, discernment, and understanding that come from above. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, enable us to rise above distractions and remain attentive to Your voice.
Grant us courage and strength to stand boldly in faith, sharing Your love and the good news with others — especially those who have not yet heard Your Word.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen 🙏.
Idau Hahine 