Hearing aids needed?

Exodus 26; Proverbs 2; John 5; Galatians 1

When we took my father for a hearing test, he joked with the doctor, “I hear all I need to hear” and frustrated my mother who could not understand why he sometimes ignored her words. He readily admitted to ‘selective hearing’ — much to mom’s annoyance.

These days, with the proliferation of scams, false information, and now the threatening pandemic, listening is important. Selective hearing might be the only way of sorting out the jumble of stuff thrown at us. Even as businesses and services are closing to protect people, others are greedily using this pandemic to scam people and fraudulently take their money.

God warns His people to pay attention. I need to discern the legitimacy of what others say, but also carefully listen to what He says.

My (child), if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:1–5)

Trusting God and listening to Him for guidance is always safe. He does not use trickery and always wants the best for me. But I must be willing to listen. In one New Testament story, Jesus approaches an invalid and shows that He respects our desires and will not force His power on those who are not willing to receive it . . .

 . . . . Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:1–6)

The man was willing. Of course he was healed. However, I’m aware of many people today that will not listen to Jesus because they are not willing to have their lives changed. That said, there will come a day when refusing to listen is not an option. Jesus later said:

“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28–29)

All will hear and all will be raised, some to eternal life and some to judgment. It amazes me that many did not want to listen then, even as many do not listen to Jesus now. Jesus spoke to them about the connection between listening and trusting Him:

“And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life . . . . But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. (John 5:37–40; 42)

Those to whom He spoke knew the story of Exodus and the commandments God gave to Moses. They had the prophecies and OT history, but they still made up their own version of salvation —  ignoring Moses’ prophecies about a coming Messiah, a Savior they would need because they could not save themselves. Therefore Jesus said to them:

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:45–47)

APPLY: Again, God is telling me to listen, not merely to hear words but take them to heart and do His will. For most of my Christian life, listening involved instruction for my behavior, who to talk to, etc., but these are perilous days. Information hits my ears from a multitude of sources and some of it could be life-threatening if I listened to it and did what it says. More than ever, I must listen to Jesus — and am so glad that He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)