When Pride Keeps Us From Hearing

  Mark 4:9- And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"


  So... if a tree fell in the forest, and no one was around to hear it, would it make a sound?  I say, no, it would not produce sound; it would produce sound waves. There would have to be someone present with ears for the sound waves to be received as sound. I think sometimes I listen like someone without ears. I let the sound waves pass by me and remain unaffected by them. I think pride is what is ultimately keeping me from hearing.

  I feel like I'm just beginning to understand grace. He's been telling me for years in His still, small voice, but I didn't really hear Him. I say "just beginning to understand", because if I fully understood I would love my neighbor as myself and I know I don't. It's easy for me to spend money on myself for something I want, but very difficult to take that same money and give it to someone else instead. I give money that I have set aside to give, but parting with a loved possession or with money that I was planning to spend on myself or my family in order to meet someone's needs it quite different. I know He's trying to talk to me, but I have to put off my pride so I can put on my ears otherwise I can't hear Him. God talks to us in many ways, through the Bible, preaching, strong Christian friends, music, nature, the Holy Spirit. Am I really hearing Him, or am I just letting the sound waves pass me by?  Is my pride preventing me from using my ears to hear the still, small voice of God? Maybe I'm afraid to hear Him, because I don't want to give up something I love, or maybe I'm avoiding Him so I can remain ignorant.

1 Kings 19:11-12 Then He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.