Have you ever been unglued when reading the Word of God? Literally broken? Well, that happened to Daniel. When he was in his mid-80’s, one morning he was reading the words of Jeremiah (Daniel 9) and he recognized two things: 1) the 70-year captivity for God’s people was almost over, and 2) the people of God had been driven from their land because of their sin. These realizations brought him to knees in repentance as he cried out: “We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority” (Daniel 9:6).
You see, the people in the Old Testament lived under the law. And the law was cursed. Deuteronomy 27 and 28 reveal curses for disobedience and blessings for obedience. Hence, when the people disobeyed, judgment would come… famine would spread over the land, nations would prevail over them, families would be split apart, disease would wipe out many, and they would be driven from their land. Sin would cost them greatly. And according to Daniel, failing to listen to God was listed as a HUGE sin.
Here's the GREAT news. We don’t live under the law anymore. Our verse today reveals a glorious truth… the curse of the law was cancelled at the cross. Done away with! I say hallelujah! But what we often seem to forget is that there are still consequences to sin. And failing to listen to God is still a sin. I believe that failing to listen is one of the most prominent sins in the church. Let me add this... there’s a huge difference between hearing and listening. We can hear but not listen. Listening requires action. You hear what God is saying, and you act upon it, seeking to obey.
One specific consequence we face when we fail to listen to God is that we will keep living in bondage, chained up. Every area of our lives will be difficult: relationships, marriage, work, ministry, our witness, our relationship with Jesus. Freedom IS possible for the believer but can ONLY be attained if we choose to listen. Let me encourage you to tune your ears today and really listen, asking the Lord how He would have you apply His Word to your life. When we do this, we will notice those chains breaking off.