Have you ever had a hard time understanding what is going on in your life? I have. Have you ever had a blind spot and could not see all that was happening? I have. Have you ever been talking with someone and not really hearing what they were saying? I have. Have you ever grasped something intellectually, but it never traveled from your head to your heart, so you never acted on it? I have. Would you like to join me in finding out how to see, hear and understand better? Shall we explore this topic together and, in the process, find out how it leads to hope.
I do not know about you but I have had a hard time seeing, hearing and understanding. So did the Israelites. God said this through Isaiah to the Israelites, “And he said, ‘Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’” As Israel struggled with obeying God, God sent Isaiah to point out why. It was not a problem with hearing that existed it was a problem with understanding what they heard. I am much like the Israelites hearing, but not understanding because I am not really listening. At this point, God was so angry with Israel He did not want them to see or hear or allow their hearts to understand. It was also clear God had given them plenty of chances to see, hear, listen and obey, so He kept them from doing so until they were sent into exile and punished for their failure to honor God.
We also realize how seeing, hearing and understanding, are each a gift from God. Deuteronomy 29:2-6 says, “And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.” (ESV) Here Moses tells the Israelites that God has not given them hearts to understand, ears to hear, or eyes to see. So even though God had done amazing things for Israel they did not understand all that He had done for them because God had not yet given them the ability to do so.
I have hope because the good news is, God has provided for me His Spirit to help me understand, someone who was once blind, deaf, and without understanding. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (ESV) John 16:13 We who are in Christ no longer are blind, deaf or without understanding because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. The Holy Spirit guides me and teaches me how to hear, see and understand. I believe all I have to do is ask Him to open my eyes to see, my ears to hear and my heart to understand.
There is therefore great hope that I my see, hear and understand. That hope helps me to deal with everything that I face day in and day out.
In order for you to have this same hope and direction you must first accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. If you do not know Jesus the true source of hope does not abide in you. Learn how to get the hope you need. Learn how to know Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs you can find them here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google
