Mark 4: Pay Attention to What You Hear

Today’s reading is Mark 4.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

What an odd thing to say. Doesn’t everyone have ears? Yes. And No. Jesus was not distinguishing between those who could audibly hear and those who were deaf. He was actually bringing back into mind that reference He made to Isaiah 6. Some people will see, but not perceive. They will hear, but not understand. “Don’t just hear,” Jesus says. “Understand!” Don’t just let the words audibly enter your ears. Don’t just read the words on the page. Recognize they mean things. Recognize they have consequences. Recognize they should impact us and change us.

Therefore, we need to pay attention to what we hear. Literally, Jesus commands us to “See what you hear.” Even in this command He uses forms of the words in His reference to Isaiah 6: “See,” “Hear.”

Be careful how you look, be careful how you hear. Take pains with. Take care with it. Pay attention to what you are doing. Don’t be careless and reckless. Don’t think because you’ve read through some passage and had some initial thoughts you’ve figured out or understood what the teaching is.

Observe as you read Scripture and as you listen to it being taught. How much care should you take? How much observing should you do? That depends on how much you want to get out of it. The measure you use in your observation, your meditation, your rumination will be the measure you receive in your understanding. In fact, when you take pains and take care to observe and pay attention to your looking and listening to God’s Word, He will multiply the effectiveness of the work you are putting into it. He will measure back to you according to the measure you supply and will add even more.

However, if you decide a cursory listen, a once over, a quick read, a reliance on first impressions is plenty, even what you have will be taken away. That is, even the understanding you have now will be destroyed as your misunderstandings mount up and attack foundations of understanding which once were laid within you.

Jesus is the light. We don’t put Him under a basket. Rather, we lift Him and His Word up for all to see and hear. But let us be certain to listen. To listen carefully. To listen with a view to application and transformation.

In fact, when I listen but without the care and attention to understand, I won’t find forgiveness. That sounds a lot like what Jesus said about the person who committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit back in Mark 3:28-29, doesn’t it? When I refuse to listen to the truth revealed by God, when I refuse to listen carefully, that’s when I won’t be forgiven. That is when I’m blaspheming God’s Spirit.

Listen up! Pay attention! God will be with you if you do.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Mark 4.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Mark 4 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Psalm 123: I Lift Up My Eyes to the Heavens

Today’s reading is Psalm 123.

Higher Than the Hills

In Psalm 121, our pilgrim lifted his eyes to the hills. That was a bit vague. Were the hills an encouragement, reminding him of God who dwells on His holy hill? Or were they an obstacle on His journey to God’s house? Were they a reminder of the false gods and idols whose shrines and high places peppered the hills?

In Psalm 122, the pilgrim stood in Jerusalem. He had climbed his way up the hill to the Lord’s city. Yet, even here he still fears the contempt of the proud. Standing on the hill, he looks even higher. Now he looks to the heavens, but this time without ambiguity. He does not look to the “hosts of heavens.” He isn’t distracted by “heavenly beings” or “heavenly bodies.” He looks to the One enthroned in the heavens.

The pilgrim does not see God, of course. That doesn’t change where he looks. Like Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:12, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (ESV). In other words, both Jehoshaphat and the pilgrim psalmist did know precisely what to do. Look to the Lord. Wait on God. The pilgrim did the next right thing. He left Meshech and Kedar. He entered the Lord’s city. He called on the Lord. He trusted the Lord. Having done what God has asked him, he now waits on what the Lord promised him.

That is, at times, a hard wait. In those moments, we want to try harder. We want to do more. This leads us to do things like try to have a child with a concubine because Sarah hasn’t had a child yet. This leads us to do things like lie to the prince of the land about whether she is our wife or not. This leads us to do things like compromise with enemies or call on other nations like Egypt to deliver us. Yes, we are to do what God has asked. Yes, we are to fulfill our responsibilities. However, at that point, we rest in our merciful God to fulfill His covenant with us–no matter how long it takes.

Let us keep our eyes locked on the source of all strength, victory, and mercy. Let us look to the One who is enthroned in the heavens.

Praise the Lord!

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 123 prompt or improve your praise of God?