Intend to Attend

(Pro 4:20 KJV)  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

What does it mean to “attend” (give attention NASB) (7181) to God’s “words” (561)?  The root meaning of the word is to incline.  We have all done this.  We think we hear something.  We cock our head and turn our ear in the suspected direction.  We focus.  We have an innate understanding that our ears will pick a sound up best if they are tilted a certain way.

We should be doing the same thing to God’s wisdom.  It may start with an awareness that there is something to hear.  Too often we blow it off and get on with life.  When my wife hears a noise in the middle of the night I tell her to go back to sleep.  She insists that I listen.  Sometimes I am forced to get up and go through the house.  So far I have found nothing.  That may change.  I know that if there is something there I want to know about it.

So?  Is the Holy Spirit tickling your fancy?  Are you rolling over and going back to sleep or are you cocking your head to listen?  You won’t hear the music by turning the volume down.