“Do-doo!! you hear me?” – “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Two expressions most parents have said, hoping they get through to their kids. The ability to hear sound is one of our five human senses and a normal characteristic from birth (fewer than 1% are born with hearing impairment). Yet, countless individuals never realize listening is a skill that requires development. Good listening skills are fundamental for success in academics, jobs, relationships with friends and families. But most important is developing our skills to hear from God. Preachers and teachers can have excellent speaking abilities, but that does little good if the hearer doesn’t listen or know how to listen. Communication requires active involvement by two sides: a sender transmitting a message and a receiver deciphering the same message in his/her mind.
Jesus, even with His unparalleled speaking abilities, encountered the same issue of people not listening and not understanding. He said although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand (Mat 13:13 NET). Jesus placed much emphasis on the importance of hearing. At least thirteen times in the Gospel, He either began or ended His teaching with, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus’ first parable, the sower began Behold (Matt 13:3). The word means “Listen up! Pay close attention!” In v9, He concludes by saying He who has ears, let him hear. Today’s English equivalent, “Now, think through what I have said.” James also emphasized hearing, But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak . . . (1:19). Paul adds, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom 10:17).
A man from a group I led told me, “God has never spoken to me. I’ve never heard Him say anything.” I already knew his first problem was he was too busy running three businesses, striving to get rich. He participated in two sports groups and attended all his three children’s sports events. He confessed he struggled to have even a ten-minute devotion. “I wonder why!”, I thought. We can all become absorbed with the business of life and end up trapped, never stopping to listen. Be still, and know that I am God (Ps 46:10 NIV).
A second hindrance happens when believers think hearing from God happens via a thundering voice from heaven or an audible voice. Hearing is not restricted to human speech. God can speak through the scriptures, through our circumstances, and through a deep internal peace. Elijah learned God doesn’t always communicate through the sensational. God brought a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but did not speak through them. Afterward, Elijah heard a gentle blowing and instantly knew it was the Lord. A quiet voice asked what he was doing there. Scripture doesn’t indicate if the voice was external or internal. Personally, I have never heard an audible voice. But I’ve heard Him speaking to me internally in my thoughts, giving me such peace, I knew it was God. This is a spiritual perception that develops as we mature through the Holy Spirit.
The first step to hearing God is you must want to hear. Christians may only choose to hear what they already believe and want nothing that challenges their beliefs. Some like to hear about someone else’s sins and can respond, “Yea, they need to hear that.” A sad stumbling block is those who want only preaching that is dynamic and stirs their emotions. The content is not important as long as it is dynamic, and they go home ‘feeling good’.
The author of Hebrews charges that some readers were dull of hearing. It is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing (Heb 5:11). The word for dull means slow, sluggish, lazy, or idle. Listening requires focus and energy. So, we must guard against becoming lazy. Another caution comes from Paul speaking of the last days. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires (2 Tim 4:3). A lesson from this, we need to be careful who we follow. We should ask ourselves if we desire to hear the truth or teaching that scratches an itch coming from fleshly desires?
My study for this originated in Revelation. Jesus addresses the seven churches of Asia both commending and condemning. But to all seven, He says, ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ This statement brings all He said to the church down to the individual. It says “He” which is a singular pronoun. It doesn’t say if the whole church has ears. Rather he, one individual, has an ear, let him hear. Jesus even says this to Laodicea, the apostate church, He [singular] who has an ear. Regardless of the sins of others, you have an invitation.
Sustaining Word for the Week: A life-changing verse for me 34 years ago. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live (Isa 55:2, 3).