The making of a hearing ear pt. 2
In our last post, we established that a refinement process must occur in order to personally hear “…every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.”
This process is often referred to as the dark or wilderness seasons of our lives.
While we are in those trials of life, we approach the word of God for comfort. The word of God has an ability to shed light on the circumstances we find ourselves in. Especially the most difficult ones, in order to bring us to a place of peace and comfort. Study this verse carefully:
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79 KJV)
There are numerous biblical examples to be considered, however I’d like to specifically examine the life of John the Baptist.
Saint John speaks of him as …a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of that Light. (John 1:6-7 KJV)
Notice, John was sent by God specifically to direct and point the people into the direction of the light.
He spent his time in the wilderness (KJV uses the word deserts) where he grew strong in spirit.
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. (Luke 1:80 KJV)
Im certain, if we reflect upon our most difficult moments of life, we could agree that those were the times when we grew and sought God’s guidance the most.
The purpose of the wilderness was to prepare John to be able to develop a hearing ear and identify Christ’s voice.
John makes this claim about himself...
The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. (John 3:29)
In preparation for his ministry, John found himself in a waiting period. His ears were on the alert to the hearing of the bridegroom’s voice.
And as the psalmist testified, “…in thy presence is fulness of joy (Ps. 16:11 KJV)”, so does John affirm: my joy is now complete!
Again, to affirm: In the desert or wilderness is where the heart is prepared to hear…
He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression. (Job 36:15 KJV)
Jesus draws a beautiful illustration of this transformation process in his parable of the sower. He vividly portrays the different types of “hearers” that approach the word.
First type:
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. (Matthew 13:19 KJV)
Second type:
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:20-21 KJV)
Third type:
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22 KJV)
And finally, the good ground (one that has gone through refinement):
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
For a long time, I found myself to be most like the third type of “hearer”. One that did approach the word at select times, however, was intellectually occupied with the cares of life, personal ambitions, and temporal materialistic pursuits. There was absolutely no fruitfulness or result evident in me of receiving any nourishment from the word. But thank God for the master gardener, who began to refine this dull heart of mine and till the hardened soil. The dire circumstances I found myself in had caused the superficial things of life to become meaningless and of no value to me. A complete emptying of the heart had occurred, until it was just me and my basic essentials of life that remained. That is when the commitment was made, and His presence I began to seek. I wrote about it in One thing is Needful post. And as previously mentioned of John the Baptist, and confirmed by the psalmist, oh the joy that filled my soul when I first heard that voice with my heart.
Your emptiness is but the preparation of you being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.
-Charles Spurgeon
You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else.
-Charles Spurgeon
There is a preparation of the heart that is needed to move from the wilderness of fear to the garden of God’s grace. Outside of Christ we are all in our own wilderness, the feeling of detachment from God and His goodness. However, in His presence is a paradise of peace and comfort. So prayerful followers of Jesus continually prepare for the Lord to sup with them in the sanctuary of their souls. You prepare in anticipation of His presence.
-Boyd Bailey (Wisdom Hunters)
Supporting texts
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; (Job 29:3 KJV)
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ez. 36:26 KJV)
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (2 Peter 1:19 KJV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Ps. 119:105 KJV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27 NIV)
Bailey, B. (2018, July 7). A Prepared Heart Follows God’s Path. Wisdom Hunters.Com https://www.wisdomhunters.com/a-prepared-heart-follows-gods-path/
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