Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Listening Matters was written by James Banks.

Come at once, we have struck a berg.

Those were the first words Harold Cottom, the wireless operator,

on the RMS Carpathia, received from the sinking RMS Titanic at 1225 a.m. on April 15, 1912. The Carpathia

would be the first ship to the disaster scene, saving 706 lives.

In the U.S. Senate hearings days later, the Carpathia's captain, Arthur Rostron, testified,

The whole thing was absolutely providential.

The wireless operator was in his cabin at the time, not on official business at all, but simply

listening as he was undressing. In ten minutes, maybe he would have been in bed, and we would not have

heard the message. Listening matters, especially listening to God. The writers of Psalm 85,

the sons of Cora, urged attentive obedience when they wrote, I will listen to what God the Lord says. He promises peace to his people,

his faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him.

Their admonition is especially poignant because their ancestor, Cora, had rebelled against God

and had perished in the wilderness. The night the Titanic sank, another ship was much closer,

but its wireless operator had gone to bed. Had he heard

the distress signal, maybe more lives would have been saved. When we listen to God by obeying

his teaching, he'll help us navigate even life's most troubled waters.

Now let's hear the hope of God's Word.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is Psalm 85.

You, Lord, showed favor to your land.

You restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.

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