Are you hearing God?

One Sunday after church, my family and I were enjoying the drive home while discussing the sermon we had just heard. Shortly into our drive, my wife, Shelli, started to get a headache and requested that we stop so she could get something to drink. I asked her if she had anything to drink that morning (yes, she had), and then I began explaining the importance of drinking a large glass of water upon waking in the morning. It soon became apparent to me (OK, to be honest, it actually took me a while) that my comments revealed that I hadn’t truly listened to her. Although technically I heard her words, I failed to understand what she was saying, which kept me from giving her the care she needed.

I “heard” her, but I didn’t really hear.

The one who has ears, let him hear

Jesus spoke a lot about hearing, probably more than we realize. This subject is one of Jesus’ most recurring teachings, both in the Gospels and the book of Revelation. He often appends this subject as a single sentence to His other teachings: “The one who has ears, let him hear.”

Jesus was saying that our ability to understand His teachings depends upon whether we have learned to hear. Or, to consider it another way, it is only as we develop the ability to hear that Jesus’ teachings produce fruit in our lives.

If hearing is so important that it is foundational to Jesus’ other teachings, then what does it mean, Biblically, to “hear” and how do we develop “ears that hear”?

Hearing means we understand

Let’s look at Matthew 13. In this chapter Jesus gives the “Parable of the Sower,” which describes how people respond to hearing God’s Word. The majority of people can’t benefit from what they hear, and Jesus quotes Isaiah 6 to explain why: they hear but don’t understand (Isaiah 6:9-10 and Matthew 13:13-15). Biblically, “hearing” means that we move from mental awareness and agreement to the truth to understanding the truth.

Yet Jesus said that the majority of those who hear God’s Word don’t understand it, even if some initially receive it with joy (see Matthew 13:20). This poses the question: What hinders and what helps understanding? According to Jesus in this parable, there’s one primary factor: the condition of our heart.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 6:10 and stated that people “understand with their heart” and most people’s hearts are unguarded, shallow, or uncultivated (Matthew 13:18-22). Such hearts cannot bear lasting fruit. However, there are some people who have hearts that are “good soil,” hearts that are carefully and diligently tended to bear fruit that will remain.

Since the seed in the Parable of the Sower is the same for every soil, we find that spiritual fruitfulness is not a matter of the quality of the seed (God’s Word) but of the soil (our heart). If we want to hear God’s Word and profit from it we must diligently tend our heart!

Are we keeping our heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23)?

Hearing means we respond in faithful obedience

Learning to understand by cultivating a receptive heart to God’s Word is only part of hearing. We must respond to God’s Word. Though this truth is throughout the Old and New Testaments, James 1:22 is one of the most direct passages, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Our response (or lack thereof) to God’s Word is a matter of truth and deception!

Hearing God’s Word must be expressed in faithful obedience; if not, we are prone to self-deception. We begin to confuse mental agreement to the truth with obedience to the truth. Even worse, we slowly fail to recognize the growing disconnect between our beliefs and actions.

For those who have followed Jesus for a number of years, the most alluring temptation is usually not blatant disobedience. There’s a far more subtle and powerful temptation. As Jesus described in Matthew 13:15, our vulnerability is casual neglect—a dull heart. Religious familiarity sets in. We become bored with Scripture and prayer. Sermons and worship services seem repetitive. So our hearts check out, and though we may keep our spiritual routine, we fail to act upon the truths we know.

What is striking about the Biblical passages on “hearing” is that they are primarily addressed to those in covenant with God! For example, James was speaking to Christians. In Revelation Jesus was speaking to His churches. In the book of Isaiah God was speaking of Israel.

The lesson is clear: We cannot presume that we have “ears to hear.” By virtue of being God’s children we have the capacity to hear, but we must diligently develop the ability to hear. A farm may have the capacity to produce 10,000 bushels of crops, but the farmer must cultivate the land, diligently plant and water the seed, and remove all weeds or else the capacity is underutilized.

Are we attentively engaging our heart with God’s Word and then responding in obedience?

Hearing is directly influenced by the effort we give it

Biblically, “hearing” means we learn to understand, cultivate our hearts to be “good soil,” and respond in faithful obedience. There is another important aspect to hearing that Jesus was likely referencing: wholehearted effort. Proverbs 2:1-5 aptly describes this aspect. When you read these verses, note the number and intensity of the verbs, as well as the final outcome of doing them:

“My son, if you receive my Words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5).

In short, we must give our full attention, energy, and resources to be able to hear and receive what is most important in life and eternity. This effort is not an attempt to earn salvation or God’s love; quite the opposite, it is the response of a person who has been transformed by grace through faith to value what God values. Keep in mind that Proverbs 2 is describing a son who is responding to his father’s instruction, not a son who is initiating the conversation!

In the same way, we respond to God’s grace, and we are instructed to do so wholeheartedly and unreservedly. Knowing God and walking in the fear of the LORD are dependent upon it.

Learning to hear others

Practically, what does “hearing” look like in our relationships with others? Let’s look at Matthew 18 and Galatians 6. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus describes how to respond to an injured relationship. He uses the example of a brother that has sinned against a fellow brother, but we could apply these verses to other relationships, such as with our spouse, children, and friends. In verse 15 Jesus states the way we see the relationship restored: “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

Jesus linked restored relationships not by who was right and who was wrong, but to the extent that they were able to listen. Jesus knew that if both parties would take the time and energy to genuinely understand one another, then they would likely take the next step of hearing, which is responding in obedience to God’s Word.

Galatians 6:2 is Samaritan Ministries’ “hallmark” verse. It summarizes the heartbeat of this ministry: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The Greek Word for “bear” means to carry a relatively heavy or burdensome object, such as a cross (John 19:17) or a full water jug (Mark 14:13). At Samaritan we recognize that medical needs can be heavy and burdensome, and as members of the body of Christ we joyfully and voluntarily help one another carry these burdens.

Learning to listen well and understand one another is another way we bear one another’s burdens. Whether we are listening to someone we have wronged or who has wronged us, or we are hearing someone’s painful situation and grieving with them, listening brings healing. Ultimately, when we care for one another in this way our lives reveal our God who listens, understands, and acts on behalf of His children. While the idols and gods of other faiths may have “ears,” they cannot hear. They cannot understand, and they cannot act.

But our God? He hears. He understands. And He is faithful to act on our behalf.

As a follower of Jesus, are you “making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding”? Are you really paying attention to what the Lord is speaking to you?

As you go about your day, are you hearing those around you? There are so many hurting people—in our own families, our churches, and our workplaces. Are we able to hear them in their time of need and help them?

And maybe today you just needed to be reminded that God really is listening to you, He really does understand what you are facing, and He really is faithful to carry all your burdens.

Rob Waldo is a Member Advocate at Samaritan Ministries, and presented a version of this article for a devotion at a recent Members Services meeting. Rob holds a Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and has written two books on the church and leadership, On The Threshold and Intergenerational Leadership. He blogs about the Christian life at robwaldo.org and lives in Morton, Illinois, with his wife, Shelli, and their two sons, Malachi and Daniel.