If I’m in a room full of people at a party and suddenly yell, “Fire, fire!” people will hear my words; but if they think I’m joking, they won’t believe me. However, if my calls of, “Fire, fire!” are accompanied by the sight and smell of smoke, people will not only hear me, they’ll take me seriously. They’ll believe my words and take quick action to escape.

The Bible is very clear on the importance of both hearing and believing. Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.” Jesus is explaining that hearing the words of God is more than merely taking in what’s written on the pages of the Bible. We need to both hear and believe. If we want to truly experience God, we need to hear his words and then take action by believing in him.