Ears to Hear

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

EARS TO HEAR

Gen 18:16-19

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

NIV

Two truths that we could focus on. First, the LORD decided not to hide what he was about to do in Sodom and Gomorrah from Abraham. Was this because of the second truth, that Abraham was chosen to direct his children and household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just? We know that God brought about what he had promised Abraham. How do we relate to both those truths? First, the question is whether we have been chosen or whether we chose to follow Jesus. We know the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin and need for repentance, but the question is whether he does that for everyone, or only for the people God knows will respond in the affirmative. Did Jesus try to convert the Pharisees, or did he just call them a brood of vipers? However, because we are following Jesus, or at least trying to follow him, are we being made privy to what the LORD is going to do? We know he has made it possible for us to know everything he has done and what he will do on that last day, but does he speak to us about what he will do in the next few days, or weeks, as he did with Abraham? We think he does, but we need to be spending time listening rather than just talking to him. It seems we do a lot of talking when we pray, maybe even just babble on and on, telling him how great he is, thanking him, praising him, on and on; we keep talking until we run out of words, then we quit and go on our way. How often do we shut up and just walk with him, listening for his voice? We are not going to hear him with our mouths flowing with words, but if we have ears to hear and eyes to see, we will hear from him. Still, that might depend on whether we are doing what is right and just. But how can we be right and just in our flesh that is weak and wants to do what is not right and just? It comes down to being in Christ and he in us, for he is our righteousness. We need to walk by faith, not by sight, so then, because we have decided to follow Jesus, the LORD reveals his plans for our lives. He might speak directly to us, telling us what he will do, or what we are supposed to do. He might inspire us by putting a desire in our hearts so we follow his leading. It is a wonderful truth that God does not want to hide anything from us; we just need to listen with ears to hear.