To Hear Or Not To Hear: That Is The Question

Stepping Stones For Victorious Christ Centered Living #2

To Hear or Not Hear: That Is The Question

Hearing, as we saw in the last blog, is extremely important to Jesus: It's the difference between having lives that are on a rock-solid foundation or lives that are established on quicksand. Now, while things are going well, and the skies are blue, and the sun is shining and the temperature is perfect, our beach front property lift style  might seem  okay; nevertheless, let me caution you about this. You see, the concept of hearing, or not hearing, is so very important to The Son of God that He wrote and entire parable about non-productive, so/so, mediocre/troubled hearing, but then He topped of the story with  instructions on how to hear God's word in such a way that, no matter what happens to us, we are going to be surprised at the positive outcome. 

As, I share this ancient wisdom with you, take some time to open a Bible. Then turn to Matthew 13:1-9 and Matthew 13: 18-23.  The first verses contain Jesus story; however, this hearing topic is so important to Jesus that He went in great detail -- in the latter verses -- to explain what He wants us to get out of the story. He begins with group #1 who didn't really hear a thing. Group #2 are kind of shallow in their listening skills. Group #3 represents people who have a lot of opportunity to hear, but let stuff prevent the word to be productive.  Finally, groups #4. Well, let's just say this group is amazing.

Group #1 The Devil Makes Them Do It:

I sincerely hope you are NOT in this group: Why? Because, if you are a part of this tribe of hearers, Satan has a hold on you! And you do not have any ability to hear God speaking the teachings of the Lord. Say What?  That's right. This kind of non-listener could have a stack of Bibles piled up for them to use, and it would do no good.  The latest Bible app could be playing on audio, and you wouldn't get a word of it. This person, literally, let's the Devil into the details. God is speaking loud and clear, and their physical ears are capable of hearing just fine. But they don't understand! They are NOT listening! The Word of God evaporates in their hearing. They have eyes to see, but they don't see. They have ears to hear, but they don't hear. They have a heart, but the heart is not receptive to the things of God.  They make it easy for Satan to simply snatch the Word away, and God cannot even save them. Their lives represent a bulls eye for storms to take them down.

I suspect this individual made up their mind to simply only believe what they can see with their own eyes. And because of this trying to see the supernatural with natural eyes, only, they are easy targets for Satan to trick them, just as he did Eve, and the Word is easily snatched from them like taking candy from a baby.

Group #2: The Emotions Based Folks:

This second group could easily have this motto: "I can feel it!" Don't get me wrong. Emotions are neither bad nor are they good. It's what you do with these emotions that determine the outcome of goodness of badness. The BIG mistake these people make is when they let their emotions be their guide. Emotions are NOT reality. They are simply feelings, and feelings (among other things) are based on thought. You can count on it. There is a thought that leads to every feeling, and every feeling leads to a thought. Stinking thinking leads to stinking feeling, and this is NOT the same as basing faith on/in God's Word regardless of how a person feels.

I heard the story of a revivalist who once said, "Now that I have met Jesus, I never have any problems."  Now, that will put a lot of , "I want some of that kind of religion" in a person's feeler.  When I first met Jesus, I  found myself with a whole lot of new problems with which I needed God's help. And I have seen, and I have also heard, of people, who went to a revival, and they got caught up in all kinds of emotional stuff during that time; however, when they walked away with a hope filled heart, of joy, believing that they would not longer have any problems, well, it simply didn't work.  Life happened. Troubles happened. Storms came into their lives, and they were miserable.  The Word they "heard" and received, was based on shallow hearing, and not on the truth of God's word; therefore, tough times came and they gave up. They caved in. Their life was anything but joy filled because their hearing was not deeply rooted, in faith, in the Word of God.

Group #3 The Worry or Wealth Hearer

Now this group of people, you would think, would have a greater opportunity to hear God speak -- at least some of them. They seem to be affluent. They seem to have a lot of stuff. Atleast part of this group would have the motto, "The One Who Has The Most Toys Wins." Sometimes having a lot of gadgets, or a lot of things, can lead to anxiety. Let that new car get a dent or scratch, and just look at how the focus of such a person goes out of focus.

Jesus compares these to people who have a bunch of thorns, or briars, strangling the Word of God from growing up to maturity. This one's garden of life is taken over by spiritually, and painfully emotional weeds, rather than by the fruit of the Word.  God would love this person to be spiritually affluent and alive rather than plagued by idols and toys. Sure, these things do help a person, briefly, be pseudo-happy, but not joy filled by the teaching of God's Word growing up in their heart.

Group #4 The Bumper Crop Listeners.

I sincerely hope that you are a part of this group of folks: The Word of God is like a seed that settles deep into the soil of your heart. And that seed dies in the soil of your heart while the Creator works miracles of resurrection transformational life! Such people experience a fruit producing life in you that grows up out of you. It does so 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown in each one's heart.

God's Calling 

God is calling you, and He is calling me to be a part of Group #4: When I wrote my two books, including Rock Solid Living In A Quicksand World-Rewind, I wrote about this very story that is so important to Jesus the Messiah. In this parable we find a way to change quicksand, storm collapsing values, for these rock-solid teachings of Jesus. These teachings are true, and these teachings, including how we hear God, will give you grace to experience the powerfully transformational life only Jesus can give. His word provides freedom in Christ, if you let the seed of the Word settle down deep into your heart and die. Then like a plant, it will grow up, with God's resurrection power, into something supernatural. It will provide God's wonder filled life that will sustain you ... no matter what happens.

Don't let God's Word evaporate in your hearing. Don't base your faith on how you feel. Cast all your anxieties regarding what you have, or don't have, on He who cares for you. Let God's Word rest in you as you rest in God. Live one day at a time -- by faith-- through God's grace. Discover Rock Solid Living in a Quicksand World. Let the Lord pull you out of any much and mire. Then you will be on a solid footing for everyday living. In Jesus Name.

Prayer.

Have Mercy Healvenly Father,

Please give me ears to hear you: Don't let Satan interfere with my hearing.  Please,  don't let my listening be emotionally shallow.  Give me grace to overcome worry, and all the entanglement of stuff, when I try to hear. Most importantly,  Give me the ability to let your Word settle deep within my heart, die, and be fruitfully grow in me, through me, and outside of me, even 100 fold. In Jesus Name. Amen 🙌 🙏 🙌 

God Bless You  Christ Followers 🙏 

S o J o u r n e r