Listen To Me
BRD REFLECTION 2025
Isaiah 51, Isaiah 52:1-12 and Psalm 132 (NIV)
(Alex Lai, Lay Leader Representative)
READ:
The verses that stood out for me are Isaiah 51:1-8.
OBSERVE:
Isaiah 51 was written to the Israelites in exile in Babylon. It is a call to remembrance, comfort and renewal of hope. The phrase “Listen to me” was repeated three times in these eight verses. Each call to listen is a reminder that faith begins not with seeing but with hearing, with remembering who God is and what He has already done. Isaiah 51 reminds believers to trust in God’s unchanging power even in exile-like seasons when circumstances seem hopeless.
APPLY:
As I read Isaiah 51, I recalled the times when I was stuck in the darkest valley, when circumstances looked bleak. I wrestled with God daily and lamented why He did not help me. But each time, I felt God gently nudging me to remember, to look back and see how far He has brought me. I realised that when I was faced with challenging circumstances, I would look ahead in anxiety and worry, instead of remembering His faithfulness and everlasting love for me. In verse 2, God reminded me to look to Abraham and Sarah. If God could build a nation out of one old man and one barren woman, then surely He can deliver me from my circumstances.
The phrase “Listen to me” stood out for me. God said these three words three times to silence the other voices that fill my mind – the voices of fear, failure, and doubt. God wants me to hear His voice above all others. He wants me to know that His love, righteousness and salvation will last forever.
DO:
When I find myself in “exile” seasons, I will –
1. Listen to God.
2. Look back to His faithfulness.
3. Look forward to His unchanging salvation.
PRAY:
Lord, teach me to listen when You speak. Help me to remember who You are and what You have done for me. May Your voice be louder than the world’s noise. Amen.
