A Heart That Hears He who has ears to hear, let him hear! It is true that we all have ears. But as some of us can attest, they may not always work as well as we might like. But when Jesus so emphatically used the phrase, “ears to hear,” He meant something far deeper than the level of our physical sense of hearing. We can look to King Solomon to help illustrate what Jesus was saying to us. The Bible records the beginning of the extraordinary reign of King Solomon (1Kings 3:4-14). In this account, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream to ask an amazing question: “Ask! What shall I give you?” (v.5). Solomon could have asked for anything. But realizing the enormous challenge of being king, he asks the Lord this: “Therefore, give to your servant an understanding heart, to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (v.9). The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request - and abundantly and supernaturally answered it. Of particular note in Solomon’s request is the phrase, “an understanding heart.” The Hebrew word for ‘understanding’ is somal, which means a “hearing heart.” Ultimately, a hearing heart is the right application of judgment based solely upon God’s perspective of right and wrong. This is certainly the essence of discernment, that gives rise to wisdom.
The world today is full of many deceptive voices. So, it is imperative that we know how to hear our Shepherd’s voice so we won’t be led astray. And, so we can also help lead those around us to follow the only true Shepherd who loves us and gave His life for us. Frank & Wendy Parrish Used with permission
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