LISTEN UP!
Listening up requires the response of our hearts to hear God’s goodness from His Word. We have to see or picture His Word working and then meditate on what that looks like in action for our lives in our hearts. This produces Life and health to all of our being.
Proverbs 4:20-22
20My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
INCLINE means To Stretch out, to Influence, to Extend….Its a verb, there is action and personal responsibility required.
If the attitude of our hearts does not cooperate with the Word of God, it says we go backwards and have a stiff neck. In other words, we are listening down to the level of our circumstances in this natural world based on performance and our own ability. When in this position, we are listening and looking to worthless things causing distraction and noise to our hearts.
Jeremiah 7:24-26
24Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed[b] the counsels and the [c]dictates of their evil hearts, and went[d] backward and not forward. 25Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
Psalm 119:36-37
36[f]Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37Turn[g] away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in [h]Your way.
The Bible refers to this as a hard heart and is rooted in self-centeredness. Here are some practical things to listen for with a hard heart. Its important acknowledge and own it, humble ourselves, and reposition the ears of our hearts back towards Gods Word.
HARD HEARTED Verbage-
But I…
Never Will I…
Everybody wants from me…
Me, Me, Me, language..
Unthankfulness….
Forgetful of God’s Word and faithfulness to you…
VASE AND CANDLE OBJECT LESSON:
Beliefs are a matter of the heart. We determine what our hearts place value on. A Vase and a candle are made up of different matter. They react different to the sun and heat. One hardens, the other melts and is pliable and moldable. We need to be in a place where our hearts are moldable to God’s Word. The greatest area of offense to the truth has the greatest area for Gods Word to bring you freedom. The matter of beliefs in the heart ultimately determine how the heart responds in being able to hear what God is saying.
So how do I change my heart? Whatever you think on, your emotions will be led by.
Philippians 4:8-Getting God’s emotions-THINK ABOVE, ON THE INCLINE
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Proverbs 22:17
17Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
It is reassuring that God has inclined or positioned His ears towards us. God Hears you and take confidence that He inclines his ear to you. As a reflection you will position the ears of your heart to hear Him. It causes us to hear and produces confidence and faith, knowing that God wants to hear His children. This produces relationship with Jesus!
Psalm 10:17
17Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
1John 5:14-15
14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Romans 10:17
17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
LISTEN UP!
Here is the video to the message I recently preached at Faith KC:
​
https://youtu.be/_Zx0OZVKM-g?si=maYH08RvgBHqWn44
If this teaching article encouraged you, please consider supporting Haans Erlandson Ministries with a one-time or recurring monthly gift.