READ: MATTHEW 13:18-23
God expects us to hear
Him. It is one thing to hear, it is another thing to understand what you hear.
How you hear what you hear is very important because it has a way of
determining whether the impact of the message will be total or not. In the
parable of the sower, reference was made to a category of hearers: They heard
the Word but did not understand, and for that reason lost the benefit that they
should have derived from it (verse 18-19). Do you take pains to understand the
Word of God you are taught?
“For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrew 4:2). For any Word of God to bring forth its intended benefit in your life, it must be received on the platform of faith. Faith is that necessary ingredient that separates the carcass (container) from its content for the benefit of its recipient. To eat a coconut fruit, you must break the shell with a hard object. If not, you will keep starring at it and admiring it. You can even tell your friends you have it yet you cannot access the content. Faith is what helps you break the shell in order to receive the edible part. Many believers do not release their faith over promises given to them by God hence after several years the promises remain enclosed in a hard casing. Apply your faith on every promise from today and the content will be released to you.
Another factor that affects how you hear is your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. We are all on varying levels of spiritual perceptiveness. Whenever God is showing something to His children, they will see the same message in different way based on their spiritual perception. Hence to hear or see clearly, ask God for clarity and increase of spiritual perception. In John 12:28-29, while Jesus was communicating with His Father, God the Father replied Him, “I have glorified my name and will yet glorify it”. Those who were there heard it differently. Some heard thunder. Some heard an angel. Some probably did not hear anything at all. How you hear is very important. Ask God to open your ears to hear Him always.
“For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrew 4:2). For any Word of God to bring forth its intended benefit in your life, it must be received on the platform of faith. Faith is that necessary ingredient that separates the carcass (container) from its content for the benefit of its recipient. To eat a coconut fruit, you must break the shell with a hard object. If not, you will keep starring at it and admiring it. You can even tell your friends you have it yet you cannot access the content. Faith is what helps you break the shell in order to receive the edible part. Many believers do not release their faith over promises given to them by God hence after several years the promises remain enclosed in a hard casing. Apply your faith on every promise from today and the content will be released to you.
Another factor that affects how you hear is your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. We are all on varying levels of spiritual perceptiveness. Whenever God is showing something to His children, they will see the same message in different way based on their spiritual perception. Hence to hear or see clearly, ask God for clarity and increase of spiritual perception. In John 12:28-29, while Jesus was communicating with His Father, God the Father replied Him, “I have glorified my name and will yet glorify it”. Those who were there heard it differently. Some heard thunder. Some heard an angel. Some probably did not hear anything at all. How you hear is very important. Ask God to open your ears to hear Him always.
MEMORIZE:
HEBREWS 4:2 –For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it.
