A Hearing Heart, Listening to God

 King Solomon was humble in the beginning and wanted to please God. He asked God for wisdom so that he could rule justly.

But we need to look at the text more closely. What is the nature of this wisdom that Solomon received from God?

So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people? 1 Kings 3:9 AMP

What is a hearing heart?

First of all, we need to listen to our own hearts when we have a conflict of conscience. We all have these conflicts. Sadly, Adam and Eve ignored their conscience.

But it is not enough to obey our conscience. Our conscience can be shaped by our upbringing, our culture and our religion.

Our conscience can be too liberal or too strict.

There are Christians who think sex before marriage is normal. I can't understand why they don't feel painful remorse.

On the other hand, there are women who have had a very strict religious upbringing. They have been taught to regard sexual feelings as sinful. When they are engaged and kiss their boyfriend, they feel strong remorse. Even after marriage, they do not enjoy sex.
 
If you have a listening heart, your heart will be open to God's Word. You will learn from the Bible that sex before marriage is forbidden.

You will also learn that sex with your spouse should be delightfully pleasant.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine, Song of Songs 1:2 NRSV

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Jn 10:27 NRSV

There are laws in the Bible that are meant to sensitise our consciences. But there are also teachings designed to free us from a guilty or legalistic conscience.

Only through divine wisdom will your conscience be cleansed and sanctified, but also freed from legalism.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 NRSV

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom 5:1 NRSV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 NRSV