A Listening Ear

It is written in Prov. 20:12: “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.” No one can open or close the ear of the heart—only the Lord can! It is therefore a tremendous grace to be allowed to hear the voice of the Spirit in our hearts. This ear must be trained to become more and more attentive. In Matt. 5:3, Jesus begins with these words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

If our ear is to become more finely tuned, poverty in spirit must increase. Jesus was so poor in His Spirit that He prayed with great need! In the midst of living a victorious life, He was in great need. The Spirit will reveal my imperfections in thoughts, words, and deeds. He will show me the other law in my members, which causes the works I do for God to be imperfect—not how I actually had wanted them to be. Rom. 7:18-19. That is why it is extremely important to be aware that I have a flesh, and that sin dwells there. I have a nature that I have inherited from my forefathers, and it influences everything I do. My very best intentions and opinions are therefore tainted by my nature. This awareness makes me poor in spirit, and causes me to hunger and thirst for more righteousness—God’s righteousness, not my own. This trains my ear to hear Him better—He who is truly righteous!

The Lord can make the ear of my heart become increasingly exercised in discerning between good and evil. The ear of the heart is the connection to the kingdom of heaven. That is why it is so important to exercise it more and more.

Jesus says in John 8:15-16: “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.” It is very easy to judge according to the flesh—thinking you have understood things correctly and that you are able to set them straight. This comes from a lack of poverty in spirit! The fruits follow accordingly—they are not a blessing, but on the contrary cause offense. God must open the ear of my heart, so that I can hear what the Spirit has to say, so that what I say and do flows from what I have heard—only then can it become a true help!

The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword! It can pierce, cut and divide, and do a work in us, by dividing soul and spirit, and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb. 4:12. A listening ear can receive that word, which can then divide and reveal what comes from my soul, my feelings, and my human nature, and what comes from the Spirit. How blessed it is when the body can be used according to what the Spirit works.

Jesus said: “. . . a body You have prepared for Me . . . to do Your will, O God.” Heb. 10:5-8. We experience this to such a great extent in the church today—there are brothers and sisters who have listening ears. That is what makes it so that we can have such a blessed life! Let us follow in their footsteps, so that our lives may be a blessing wherever we are.