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Q ● What is the difference between listening to, and hearing the word of God?

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Q● What is the difference between listening to, and hearing the word of God?

A● Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is the conscious processing of the auditory stimuli that have been perceived through hearing. Listening differs from obeying. Parents may commonly conflate the two, by telling a disobedient child that he "didn't listen to me". 

Semiotician Roland Barthes characterized the distinction between listening and hearing as "Hearing is a physiological phenomenon; listening is a psychological act." Hearing is always occurring, most of the time subconsciously and in the case of hearing the indwelling fragment of God it always occurs in the superconsciousness. In contrast, listening is the interpretative action taken by the listener in order to understand and potentially make meaning out of the sound waves or as in the case of hearing God’s thought patterns, picturizations, leading and urges. Listening can be understood on three levels: alerting, deciphering, and an understanding of how the sound or thought pattern is produced and or how the sound or sudden thought gems from the spiritual indweller affects the listener.

Photo: To Hear the Father’s Voice. 

To Hear the Father’s Voice

The spirit fragment of the Father himself is always in communication with a receptive human soul whose personality has willed such a relationship with the divine indweller of his mind and the teacher and pilot of his soul. This constant communication occurs even while the mind is at rest as in sleep. During the slumber season the spirit of the Father attempts to achieve only that which the will of the indwelt personality has previously fully approved by the decisions and choosings which were made during times of fully wakeful consciousness, and which have thereby become lodged in the realms of the supermind, the liaison domain of human and divine interrelationship. The spirit fragments of the Father always respect our sovereignty of personality; they are always subservient to our will. They need our permissions to act on our behalf.

Certain abrupt presentations of thoughts, conclusions, and other pictures of mind are sometimes the direct or indirect work of the spirit of the Father indwelling the human mind.

So indirectly and unrecognized the spirit of the Father is constantly communicating with the human subject, especially during those sublime experiences of the worshipful contact of mind with spirit in the superconsciousness.

It is to the mind of perfect poise, housed in a body of clean habits, stabilized neural energies, and balanced chemical function — when the physical, mental, and spiritual powers are in triune harmony of development — that a maximum of light and truth can be imparted with a minimum of temporal danger or risk to the real welfare of such a being.

But usually, when our spirits attempt to communicate with the human family, the message is lost in the material currents of the energy streams of human mind; only occasionally do we usually catch an echo, a faint and distant echo, of the divine voice.

The spirit fragment of the Father is engaged in a constant effort so to spiritualize our mind as to evolve our morontia soul; but many citizens of this world are mostly unconscious of this inner ministry. They are quite incapable of distinguishing the product of our own material intellect from that of the conjoint activities of our soul and the spiritual voice of the indwelling Father fragment's picturizations, urges and leadings.

The endowment of imperfect beings with freedom entails inevitable tragedy, and it is the nature of the perfect ancestral Deity to universally and affectionately share these sufferings in loving companionship. It is the supreme wish of the hosts of heaven that we could love them more, co-operate with them more fully, and cherish them more affectionately. Those who spend little or no time attempting to hear the Father's voice rarely do.

When a human being becomes more attuned to the voice of the Divine Indweller beautiful though gems such as have been recorded in this poem are often heard throughout the human lifetime.
 

The Desiderata Poem

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,

even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious

to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter, for always

there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

©1927 Max Ehrmann

Audible voice of God  (sound waves) heard by others

You should in your attempts to understand more fully hearing or listening to the voice of God realize that on occasions this voice is audible to the human ear.

On the occasion of the Baptism of Jesus these words were heard by four individuals. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” 

Paul Kemp's answer to Christianity: If Jesus is God as some claim, whose voice spoke from heaven at Jesus' baptism saying: "this is my son whom I have approved, listen to him"?

On the occasion of the Transfiguration these words were heard by four individuals. 

“This is my beloved Son; give heed to him.”

Paul Kemp's answer to Christians: Was Jesus identical with the Son of God, or just a vessel through which the Son expressed Himself to humanity?

The importance of hearing the Father’s Voice 

Every member of the human family would do well to reflect upon the value and meaning of hearing and listening to the Father’s voice as its value was demonstrated by Jesus on this occasion! This is a Divine Promise made to the whole of the human family by a Paradise Creator Son of God upon the condition that we can hear the Father’s voice!

The promise made was “I now deliver the keys of the outward kingdom — the authority over things temporal — the social and economic features of this association of men and women as fellows of the kingdom.” 

Jesus, still standing, then said to the twelve: “You are my chosen ambassadors, but I know that, in the circumstances, you could not entertain this belief as a result of mere human knowledge. This is a revelation of the spirit of my Father to your inmost souls. And when, therefore, you make this confession by the insight of the spirit of my Father which dwells within you, I am led to declare that upon this foundation will I build the brotherhood of the kingdom of heaven. Upon this rock of spiritual reality will I build the living temple of spiritual fellowship in the eternal realities of my Father’s kingdom. All the forces of evil and the hosts of sin shall not prevail against this human fraternity of the divine spirit. And while my Father’s spirit shall ever be the divine guide and mentor of all who enter the bonds of this spirit fellowship, to you and your successors I now deliver the keys of the outward kingdom — the authority over things temporal — the social and economic features of this association of men and women as fellows of the kingdom.” And again he charged them, for the time being, that they should tell no man that he was the Son of God.

Paul Kemp's answer to What symbolizes Jesus who gives the two keys to Peter?

Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it for therein does time transcend to eternity.

Just trying to follow your teachings please, and time will come for to start also asking some questions when i gain the experience in approaching such questions. I appreciate your work.