DAY TWO
He who has ears,
let him hear . . .

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
MATTHEW 11:15

“LET HE who has ears to hear, use them.”

More than once Jesus said these words. Eight times in the Gospels and eight times in the Book of Revelation,¹ we are reminded that it’s not enough just to have ears—it’s necessary to use them.

In one of his parables² Jesus compared our ears to soil. He told about a farmer who scattered seed (symbolic of the Word) in four different types of ground (symbolic of our ears). Some of our ears are like a hard road—unreceptive to the seed. Others have ears like rocky soil—we hear the Word but don’t allow it to take root. Still others have ears akin to a weed patch—too overgrown, too thorny, with too much competition for the seed to have a chance. And then there are some who have ears that hear: well tilled, discriminate, and ready to hear God’s voice.

Please note that in all four cases the seed is the same seed. The sower is the same sower. What’s different is not the message or the messenger—it’s the listener. And if the ratio in the story is significant, three-fourths of the world isn’t listening to God’s voice. Whether the cause be hard hearts, shallow lives, or anxious minds, 75 percent of us are missing the message.

It’s not that we don’t have ears; it’s that we don’t use them.

1. What are we wise to do, according to Proverbs 18:15?

2. We can learn just as much from negative examples—seeing how not to live—as from positive ones. Consider these verses, which are heavy on chastisement.

___ Mark 8:18	a. Foolish people hear without understanding.
___ Isaiah 42:20	b. Dull-hearted people shut their eyes.
___ Isaiah 6:10	c. Stiff-necked and stubborn people resist the Holy Spirit.
___ Jeremiah 5:21	d. The disciples did not see, hear, or remember.
___ Acts 7:51	e. The “blind” see without observing, without paying attention.

3. On the other hand, some have ears that are ready to listen. What does Isaiah 30:21 say that these people will have?

Scripture has always placed a premium on hearing God’s voice. Indeed, the great command from God through Moses began with the words “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4 KJV).

Nehemiah and his men were commended because they were “attentive unto the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3 KJV).

“Happy are those who listen to me” is the promise of Proverbs 8:34 (NCV). Jesus urges us to learn to listen like sheep. “The sheep recognize his voice. . . . and they follow because they are familiar with [the shepherd’s] voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it” (John 10:3–5 MSG).

Each of the seven churches in Revelation is addressed in the same manner: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ³

Our ears, unlike our eyes, do not have lids. They are to remain open, but how easily they close.

4. The Lord says, “Incline your ears to the words of my mouth” (Psalm 78:1). Though his people could be stubborn, God never stopped calling out to them.

• What would God delight to find, according to Isaiah 32:3?

• In Ezekiel 3:10, what does God ask for?

5. Who does the Lord call blessed in Matthew 13:16?

6. What word of caution is found in 2 Timothy 4:3?

“Let he who has ears to hear, use them.” How long has it been since you had your hearing checked? When God throws seed your way, what is the result? May I raise a question or two to test how well you hear God’s voice?

How long has it been since you let God have you?

I mean really have you? How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice? Apparently Jesus did. He made a deliberate effort to spend time with God.

Spend much time reading about the listening life of Jesus and a distinct pattern emerges. He spent regular time with God, praying and listening. Mark says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV). Luke tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NIV).

Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?