“Yet the Lord sent prophets to bring them back to Him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.” 2 Chronicles 24:19
The hearing of dogs is quite amazing. When we had Blue, our Australian Shepherd, it was almost as if he had a superpower. I’d be sitting quietly reading and he would suddenly bolt upright and begin barking at what was to me, some distant phantom presence. But sure enough, 15 seconds later, a knock at the door would materialize. How is your hearing today? What messages are entering your brain and ultimately your heart? To whom are you listening today? In 2 Chronicles we see good king Joash sitting under the counsel of the Godly prophet Jehoiada. As long as Jehoiada spoke God’s wisdom into Joash’s ear, he listened, paid attention, and applied the Words of God. But after the prophet Jehoiada died, things changed. Joash’s ears were quickly filled with another message. The message of sinful men that pulled his heart away from the truth of God’s Word. And he listened. Joash, upon hearing this new message, led the kingdom into idolatry, a direction away from God. As this happened God sent prophets, men of God, to deliver a message of repentance and correction to the king and the people. But in a chilling verse, we are told that they would not pay attention. The Word of God was presented clearly, its expectations made clear, but the people would not listen, they instead preferred their own message. Today, in which way do your ears incline? Do they lean towards your own message of self-gratification, comfort, and convenience? Is your message filled with exactly what you want, when you want it? Who are your ears paying attention to? The Word of God stands resolute in its message. It stands alone as the only pure truth in this world, the North Star of wisdom, reason, and goodness amongst a spinning compass of worldly selfishness and pride. Will you hear its message or will you, as Joash and the people, refuse to pay attention and listen? I pray today that you will not only open your ears, but your heart, to the message that God has for this world. Repent from prideful sin, turn away from the direction of self-serving, and instead move in the direction of God. Pay attention not to the words of this dark world, but instead look to the message of light. The light of Jesus Christ and the salvation that only comes through His precious blood shed upon the cross. Jesus brings a clear message to the world today, pay attention and heed its call.
“Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1
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