Hearing Clearly

 February 4, 2021

I’m not hearing very well this evening. A couple weeks ago, my right hearing aid started snapping and popping, fading in and out, so I called my audiologist to see what could be done about it. After a couple fits and starts, I got a call today saying my replacement had come in. I immediately hopped in my truck and headed to town, but when I got there, I was told they wanted not just the right, but also the left aid so they could pair them properly. I wasn’t expecting that, but told that they should be able to do it before the end of the day, I reluctantly left both devices at the office. Let me add here that my hearing aids are rechargeable; a fact that is important to this narrative.

Needless to say, the hearing aids are still there, and everything sounds like I have a pillow over my head. Linda is quite understanding, repeating herself without disgust when I don’t hear what she’s saying. They told me my devices will be ready tomorrow. I hope so; I have work tomorrow for which I’ll need to be able to hear. 

It occurs to me that my physical situation is a reflection of my spiritual life. Sin leaves us all unable to hear the voice of God. Psalm 19 tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God...Day unto day utters speech...there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” God is speaking, but too often, we are deaf to his voice. In the Gospels, we read of Jesus opening the ears of the deaf, which are pictures of what he came to do in the realm of the spirit. When I confessed Jesus as my Savior and Lord, he opened my ears so I was for the first time in my life, able to hear his words of forgiveness, guidance, and correction. 

Sadly, there are times when I stop listening. God doesn’t stop talking, but deliberate sin, inattention, distractions prevent me from hearing what he has to say. His voice is muffled. When my spiritual hearing aids stop working, I have to pay special attention if I am to hear him. It’s much easier if I keep them charged each day. Like the little devices that fit into my ears, things happen that are outside my control, making it necessary to go back to the Maker to get things put right. Tomorrow, I hope to do so with my physical hearing aids. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait to get my spiritual hearing aids up and running. All it takes is repentance, confession, and prayer. God is always more ready to speak than I am to listen, so I know if I just give him the time and my attention, I’ll hear him, loud and clear.