Hearing

Now and then I will be reading Scripture and suddenly a verse strikes me as unusual, as if somehow my version of the Bible must not have translated it correctly. Then I read it more closely. Mark 4:24 has been one of those verses: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.” Take heed what you hear? I assumed we heard what we heard. If we were in church, we heard what the preacher preached. If we were watching the news, we heard what the newscaster reported. I thought hearing was a passive activity over which I had little control. Furthermore, I did not see how the following phrases related to hearing: “With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.” As I was trying to determine exactly what this meant, I did what I always do when I face this predicament—I asked my dad! As you can imagine, it has been a thrill for me to be able to sit down with my father and process the meaning of Scripture and its application to life.

This is what we determined. When it comes to receiving truth from God, we are responsible for how we hear. It is true that God can make our senses dull so we do not hear. But when God is speaking and He wants us to know what He is saying, it is up to us to listen in such a way that we hear. There is a big difference between listening and hearing. People can listen to hundreds of sermons and yet not hear what God is saying. People can watch thousands of news broadcasts yet not hear what God has to say about those world events. I am afraid churches are filled with people today who are listening, but not hearing. As a result, they are not being transformed. That is why we must be diligent to have hearts that are cultivated and prepared to hear even the slightest whisper of the Holy Spirit (Deut. 30:17; Jer. 4:3; Matt. 11:15; Matt. 13:15-16). When we approach a word from God with receptive hearts and ready lives, then God will grant us a word that matches the receptivity of our hearts. And, the more we hear from God and respond to what He says, the more eager and prepared we will be for the next word He speaks. If you are faithful in a little; God gives you more (Matt. 25:29). However, if you are not faithful with even the little you are given; even that will be removed.

So, what have you been hearing from God lately?

Reading

Over Christmas I read Profiles in Audacity by Alan Axelrod. In it he traces 44 people who faced a moment of decision that would impact the world. The best decisions are not always self-evident and they are often misunderstood or unpopular. But leaders make decisions and great leaders make crucial decisions. I suspect with the plethora of current changes taking place politically, socially, economically and culturally, some monumental decisions will have to be made by Christians and by the church. I pray we will have the courage and wisdom from God to make them.

Traveling

I hit the ground running as 2009 commenced. I led CEO training in Atlanta and Dallas. I spoke at pastors/wives conferences in Lexington, Kentucky and Myrtle Beach, SC. I spoke at evangelism conferences in Jackson, Mississippi and Las Vegas. I spoke at a pastors’ luncheon at Greer, SC and a marketplace breakfast in Easley, SC. I also led in leader training on my book, Unlimiting God at my church at Taylors First Baptist, in Taylors, SC. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I travel and speak in February. I’ll be speak at Moody Bible College in Chicago concerning God in the Marketplace. I’ll also lead marketplace conferences in Plant City, Florida and Kansas City. I’d appreciate your prayers as I’ll be leading a four-day, city-wide rally in Tishomingo, Mississippi in which churches from across the city will be participating. Please pray that God would work mightily. Then I’ll be speaking at the Fresh Encounter conference in Atlanta, Feb. 27-28. We will be launching the revised and expanded version of Fresh Encounter and are praying that people will truly have a fresh encounter with God over those two days. It is still not too late for you to sign up and come!

These are exciting days to be serving the Lord. I pray you are already experiencing a full measure of God’s powerful presence in your life as you have been serving him in 2009.

Mike and Dan Blackaby speaking in Nashville with their grandparents
January 2009

Posted by Richard Blackaby at 9:08 am