Ears To Hear

Well, that was interesting. I just took a hearing test over the phone. I know my hearing is not what it once was but I didn't think it was "substantially below the average range." Hmm. I must be getting old. At least my ears are!

Most of my hearing trouble occurs in noisy rooms. Lots of conversations going on, clanking dishes and utensils all add to the confusion. It can be quite distracting. And so it is with my faith.

We can get very distracted by the world we live in. So much so that we often forget about God in a world filled with its own clanging noises and conver*sations.

Politicians clamoring for our attention with smooth, convincing speeches can lure us into believing a lie. Television commercials can also be quite distracting with their soothing rhetoric. My wife and I have taken to muting the television when the commercials come on. You should try it. It's like an oasis in the desert.

Watching the nightly news is also a clanging cymbal in my ears. It's doesn't matter which side of the fence you're on, they all want our attention. Some even shout for it or distract us in other ways.

I've seen some TV preachers that do the same thing. They're yelling at the top of their lungs. Do they think that everyone is as hard of hearing as I am? They must. I tend to turn them off. My eyes glaze over and then roll back in my head as I hear them speak their nauseating self-help messages. That ain't worship boys.

Do you know what DOES get my attention? Do you know what really makes me listen? It's when I "hear" God speaking to me as I read His wonderfully written Word. I may be losing my hearing but I can still hear my Savior's voice . . . with my eyes.

My wife likes to speed read books. She can finish entire novels in a matter of days. Not me. I like to read at the speed of normal human speech. I also enjoy reading out loud. Both reading AND hearing really drive the message home.

As we walk through this world may we train ourselves to tune out the noisy rhetoric and clanging cymbals. Let us focus on the sound of our Shepherd's voice. We know the sound of His voice. Let us listen only for the words HE speaks to us, and not our own.

"10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” - 1 Samuel 3:10

Ears To Hear - Sabbath School