Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. Ezekiel 12:2
My son, Samuel, has a hearing loss in both of his ears. We’re not sure exactly why this showed up a few years ago, but it’s not ever going away. Sam wears hearing aids in both ears and has some special accommodations in his classroom at school to help him hear the teacher.
I’ve learned with Sam that before I speak to him, it’s important that I get his attention first. I can’t just say, “Hey Sam, come over here.” I usually walk up and touch him on the shoulder to get his attention. Then, I talk to him.
Hearing loss is a limit on Sam’s life. There’s really no way around it. But, I expect that Sam will have a good life. He’s intelligent and highly creative. Sam is curious to the point of interrogating me on the morning drive to school. Some days I just want to take the Fifth.
I’ve discovered something else about Sam’s hearing. Sometimes Sam doesn’t hear because he’s hearing impaired. Other times, though, Sam doesn’t hear because he doesn’t want to. He is hard of hearing, but he also has selective hearing.
A friend of mine has twin girls. One is hearing impaired. The girl with hearing squealed on her sister one day by reporting that she sometimes turns her hearing aid off to avoid hearing what her mom has to say.
How’s your hearing? How is your eyesight these days? The prophet Ezekiel spoke frankly to a rebellious people. At first glance, it might seem that their lack of communication was caused by their rebellion. The reality is that not hearing from God was their rebellion.
When things are going well, it’s easy to trust our own decisions and go with the flow. There really doesn’t seem to be any reason to consult God when we have matters firmly in hand. But, then life takes a turn. Suddenly, we are prompted to either blame God for the problem or beg for His mercy on our pitiful souls. Does God need to turn up the heat just to have a conversation with us?
Think about this: the Master and Creator of the universe wants to have a relationship with you. Just like you would text a friend or sit down for a cup of coffee, God wants to interact with you. God wants to guide your steps. He wants to help you even in the mundane things in life.
Where has a little rebellion crept into your life? How about unstopping your ears and listening today?
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