Spiritual Growth Involved Listening to God
“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.’”
— Mark 4:24 (NKJV)
This simple command carries powerful implications for how believers grow in faith, discern truth, and experience more of God. Jesus makes it clear that spiritual growth directly connected to how—and what—we listen to.
Be Careful What You Listen To
“Take heed what you hear” means to pay close attention to the voices you allow into your heart and mind.
We live in a world overflowing with opinions, podcasts, social media noise, and endless claims of truth. Jesus warns us that not everything deserves our attention. If you listen to lies long enough, they will shape your thinking. If you listen to truth—God’s Word—it will transform your life.
Our ears are gateways to our hearts. What you let in will eventually show up in how you think, speak, and live. That is why Jesus begins with this warning: be careful what you hear.
The Measure You Use Will Be Measured Back
Jesus continues, “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
In biblical times, people measured grain and goods with baskets or scales. The size of the measure determined how much they received. Spiritually, the principle is the same.
The amount of attention, hunger, and obedience you bring to God’s Word determines how much understanding and spiritual fruit you receive from it.
If you approach Scripture casually, you may walk away unchanged. But if you come hungry, open, and willing to obey, you will find that God’s Word begins to open up in deeper and more life-giving ways.
To You Who Hear, More Will Be Given
This is the promise: “to you who hear, more will be given.”
Jesus is describing a divine principle of increase. When you receive and respond to what God has already shown you, He entrusts you with more. Obedience opens the door to revelation.
But when truth is ignored or resisted, even what we think we know begins to fade. Luke records Jesus’ words this way: “Take heed how you hear” (Luke 8:18). Hearing is more than listening—it is responding with faith and action.
Growing Through Faithful Listening
Spiritual Formation does not happen by accident. It comes through learning to listen well—not to the noise of the world, but to the voice of the Shepherd.
Faithful listening involves three intentional responses:
- Be selective: Guard your heart from false, distracting, or destructive voices.
- Be receptive: Lean in when God speaks through Scripture, teaching, or the quiet prompting of the Spirit.
- Be responsive: Act on what you hear—apply it, live it, and walk it out.
When you faithfully steward what God gives you, He gives more—more understanding, more grace, and more fruit.
The Takeaway
In a noisy world, Jesus invites His followers to live differently—to listen intentionally.
If you want to grow in faith, don’t just hear the Word—heed it.
The more you listen, the more you will learn.
The more you obey, the more God will reveal.
So today, take heed what you hear—because how you listen determines how much you receive.
Key Scriptures on Hearing and Responding to God’s Word (NKJV)
Mark 4:24 (NKJV)
“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.’”
Luke 8:18 (NKJV)
“Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
James 1:22 (NKJV)
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
John 10:27 (NKJV)
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Devotional Reflection Questions
What truth has God already shown me that He is asking me to obey before giving me more understanding?
What voices most influence my thoughts and decisions each day, and how do they compare to the voice of God’s Word?
How do I usually approach Scripture—casually or with hunger—and what might God be inviting me to change in how I listen?
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