What do you hear?

What do you hear?

We hear what we want to hear.

Sounds go through the gateway of the ear 24/7. Some catch our attention. Others go in and out never making a lasting imprint.

Yet, others go completely unnoticed. People develop selective hearing. Two people can hear the same sounds, one will take it all in; the other won't even recall hearing anything.

We hear what we want to hear.
We block out everything else.

Ears are amazing. Their function incredible. God fashioned us in a high-tech way. We not only have physical ears, we have a spiritual ear too. In Psalms 95 and Hebrews 3:7-19 we're admonished not to turn a deaf ear to God's words. Verse 19 stated, "They never got there because they never listened, never believed."

I read an article about "donor fatigue." That's where people are overwhelmed with so many good causes needing support that after awhile they don't respond to pleas for help. Many cartoons have been drawn where husbands sit reading the newspaper saying, "Yes, Dear" while the wife is talking.

Everybody, it seems, wants a piece of our ear. It's become so common that yada-yada-yada has now become a catch phrase to describe non-stop talking.

Continual verbal advertisements bombard our ears, piped-in music in medical offices, shopping malls, etc. Noise pollution abounds. That overdose of sounds creates what I call "hearing fatigue."

In the physical realm, yes, we must tune out some noises.

Yet, in the spiritual realm, we must tune in to hear what The Spirit has to say.

Not only does our flesh war against our spirit, but the world also clamors to distract and keep our attention. With all that, no wonder we often fail to listen to the Holy Spirit. Envy, strife, unforgiveness, bitterness, anxiety and other carnal attributes brings spiritual deafness too.

We must determine to keep the main thing the main thing. Listen carefully...on purpose...to what God is speaking. Then, apply it to our lives.

HEAR and OBEY. Sounds so simple. Three small, easy words. Yet, it takes discipline, diligence and self-denial.

"I have a lot more to say about this," Paul said, "but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening." (Hebrews 5:11)

"God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense. Laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it - no matter what." (Hebrews 4:12-13)

The Holy Spirit is wooing us to switch off the noises surrounding us and come into the quiet inner chamber of God's heart to hear Him alone. Join me, won't you?

Take time every day shutting out the world and shutting ourselves into our "closet" to hear what The Spirit has to say. (Matthew 6:6)

The Jewish meaning for closet referred to their prayer shawls. When they pulled it up over their head to shield their eyes while praying, it was called a tent or prayer closet.

Today, some believers literally go into their clothes closet and shut the door, others create a place in their home or office to shut out everything and give themselves to prayer. Wherever you choose to go, just do it!

Develop the good habit of listening in order to obey.

May we all rise up and advance God's kingdom ignited and united as ONE to go out and give 'em heaven!

Dr Judy Bauer

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