What Does God Listen For?

Have you ever considered all the things you hear in the course of one day? This morning, I heard birds singing outside, and the voices of my family. I heard the coffee machine and the clink of plates and cutlery at breakfast. Right now, I’m hearing the noise of construction above the ever-present sounds of traffic and the occasional gust of wind. I haven’t even had lunch yet. There will be plenty more to fill my ears before this day is finished.

Have you ever considered all the things that God hears? The creator of sound waves hears the unceasing worship of angels before his throne. He hears the swirling wind of Jupiter and the ice that melts on Mars. He hears beyond what is audible to us—the ultrasonic songs of katydids and the footsteps of aphids. He hears beyond the limits of location—every rain drop, every lightning bolt, every asteroid, every pinging dolphin and rumbling tectonic shift, everywhere, all the time. And I thought I had a lot to take in.

God hears everything. But psalm 34 tells us that there is one thing in particular that his everlasting ears are listening for:

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
 and his ears are attentive to their cry…
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
 he delivers them from all their troubles.” – Psalm 34:15 & 17

Out of all the innumerable sounds in heaven and earth, God pays special attention to the voice of his people. Psalm 34 is not simply a theological statement of this fact—it is the personal testimony of David, when he was a fugitive running for his life. He celebrates his own experience of God hearing his cry for help:

“This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.” – Psalm 34:6

What does the God of the universe listen for? The cry of a poor man in desperate need. David was not making an eloquent prayer to God in a beautiful temple, highlighting his successes and accomplishments in God’s service. He was simply crying out for help to the only one who could save him. And he was heard. Because out of all the sounds in creation, the ears of our Father are attentive to the cries of his children.