Do you Hear it?
How’s your hearing? The older I get, it seems people are talking lower, softer. Of course, I know that it’s my hearing that is going bad, and I may not catch everything that may be said.
When our hearing goes, we may not hear what is said and either repeat something that someone else said earlier as we never heard it, or we only hear part of it and don’t have all the facts that are necessary.
But sometimes we just don’t want to hear, so we close our ears. Men have been said to have selective hearing for a number of years now (just ask some man’s wife). Sometimes its easier to “tune someone out” rather than hear what has been said.
But when it comes to the Scriptures, the Word of God, we must listen and then practice what we hear. Jesus said more than once in the book of Luke to hear and do the Word of God. In Luke 8:21 we read, “But he answered them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’” (ESV) And later He stated in Luke 11:28, “But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!’”
In these two verses, Jesus Himself spoke of the importance of hearing the Word of God and then putting what we hear into practice by observing it. If we do not listen to God through the Bible, we will not be able to do what it says.
Later on, Jesus’ half brother, James, would write by inspiration, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25
Again, the emphasis is upon hearing and doing. We need to be students of the Bible. No matter how old we are, we can still learn from and practice the Word of God. But if we never hear (read), we cannot do. If we don’t listen intently, we cannot practice what we hear. So, are you hearing and observing God’s Word? If not, today would be a wonderful day to begin, or to begin again. And as James said, when you do it, you will be blessed. Let today be a day of blessing to you!