But Samuel aid, “Does the Lord so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the Lord? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams…”
(1 Samuel: 22)
Lord, I think of myself as a listener because I seek to hear your will for me. Yet now I realize that the distinction between listening and hearing is significant. Hearing is passive, not something we choose, as I am so often reminded by loud voices in the hall or thumping overhead. Listening is active and deliberate. When my father said, “Listen to your mother,” he was not talking about the words she used. He meant that I must obey her.
I will continue to strive to discern your will for me now and in the future. Meanwhile, I have your commandments. If I ignore those, no amount of prayer and sacrifice can avail. I will listen as I seek.