Spiritual hearing

He said, "Go and tell this people: "'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

Isaiah 6:9

My nearest and dearest is hard of hearing and, every now and then, he has a nice man from "Hidden Hearing" come out and test his hearing to see if his hearing aids need to be tweaked.

I sit on the side lines amused at the whole proceedings, stifling the odd giggle, especially when the "close your eyes" test is done.

This is like a glorified game of Chinese whispers, and it entails said nearest and dearest closing his eyes and Dan, the audiologist, repeating certain words which he then has to repeat back to him according to what he thinks he's heard.

I have to tell you that there are certain word endings or sounds that he can't hear no matter if they were shouted via a megaphone [which I often try to do!].

In the verse above, Isaiah is instructed to be God's messenger to His people. It is a message that Jesus repeated and fulfilled in Matthew 13:11-17:

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Approaching Jesus with a cynical attitude and a hardened, prideful heart will lead nowhere. For that very attitude is like putting fingers in your ears, so that you cannot hear, muffling out the truth.

It is vital to cultivate spiritual hearing and filter out distracting voices. - for God is not silent - He is always speaking - be it in His word, through circumstances or via nature.

John 10:1-6

Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.’ Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

The ones who should have heard and understood Jesus' message, the Pharisees [who were conversant with the scriptures] were too proud and hard hearted to listen and understand. They had become wilfully, spiritually deaf.

Yet Jesus drew [and still draws] the ordinary folk, hungry for truth and freedom. Those who have uncluttered hearts and eager ears - were [and are] able to hear His message of love and forgiveness - unfettered by the burdens of religion.

Do I recognise Jesus' Voice? Am I able to filter out the voices of strangers, imposters who are out to ruin my faith?

Prayer

Father, in Jesus' name, please sharpen my spiritual hearing that I may follow Jesus, my Good Shepherd, into safe pastures.

Take time out to listen to His Voice. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into all truth.