Day 18 – The Whisper That Saves You
Proverbs 18:13 (NIV) “To answer before listening that is folly and shame.”
Devotional Reflection:
It usually starts so small. Someone shares their story, and before they’re finished, your mind is already forming an answer. Not because you don’t care but because you think you already know what they need to hear.
The danger is that in hurrying to speak, we skip the most sacred part of connection: listening long enough to understand. It’s the moment when pride can dress up like helpfulness, and the person in front of you leaves unheard.
Think of young Samuel in the temple (1 Samuel 3).
When he first heard the voice calling him at night, he assumed it was Eli and ran to answer. But the truth wasn’t in answering quickly it was in listening fully.
Only when he paused to say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening” did he receive the word God was actually trying to give him.
Here’s how danger dresses up as wisdom: When we rush to speak defending ourselves, fixing someone’s problem, or filling the silence it can feel wise in the moment. But it’s often just assumption in disguise. And once our words are out, there’s no pulling them back.
Listening isn’t just polite. It’s protective. It keeps us from the shame of answering a question that was never really asked.
Personal Application:
- This week, practice waiting an extra three seconds before responding in conversations.
- Ask one clarifying question before offering advice.
- In prayer, spend more time in silence than in speaking let God’s voice rise above your own.
Prayer: Father, teach me the strength of quiet and the wisdom of waiting. Give me ears that hear before my mouth speaks, and a heart that understands before it judges. Amen.
Rooted Truth: “Listening is the pause that keeps you from speaking regret.”