Turn a Deaf Ear

John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. (KJV)  

You know that thing about reaping what you sow, with what measure you are willing to hear, is what is measured back at you, it’s true. If you don’t like our Lord’s message of salvation, and turn away and do your own thing, then the Lord doesn’t want to hear your excuses for allowing sin in your life. God has done all that is needed to bring you His plan of salvation and how to maintain a walk in the Spirit on a daily basis. And until you are willing and obedient to His plan, He will not listen to those that choose another path. However, if one is a doer of His word as well as a hearer, the line of communication is wide open to those that worship Him in spirit and in truth.  

John 11:41-44 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (42) And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (43) And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. (44) And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (KJV)  

How would you like to have this confidence and boldness to know that God does always hear your prayer, and then be able to expect His results as well? The words that we speak should always be life, and bring new life to those around us as well; resurrecting those areas in our walk that have bound us up and left us for dead also. The word of God is living and powerful and able to remove the stony heart from the dead, and give them a new life with a heart that is able to receive the things of God. Sometimes however the heart becomes hardened again and calloused to the voice of God, and we end up dead in our sins and trespasses because we don’t always like and agree with what God is asking of us.  

2 Peter 3:3-6 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (KJV)  

When you are willingly ignorant and choose to ignore God, did you realize that He does the same in return? God warned the people back in the time of Noah, and was longsuffering enough to give them one hundred and twenty years time before he brought the flood upon them. Today we have many scoffers who stand in the pulpits and claim to be of God, who tickle the ears and preach doctrines based on blessings without any concern for consequences or personal responsibility of the believer. As long as people attend certain organizations and follow guidelines and standards which are beneficial only to the leaders and not the congregation, they will find that these self-serving doctrines of man which look good and sound good to the outward man, are nothing more than an abomination to God, and they will be ignored by Him until they choose to follow His path.  

Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. (KJV)  

Have things seemed stale in your life at times? Does it seem like you are in a holding pattern, ready to move forward but stuck in the mud? Are you like Lazarus, all bound up and things that were once alive in your walk now seem dead? Basically your life stinks. Do you have confidence in your prayers, knowing and not just hoping or guessing the Lord hears you? Some think that God is holding back on them, or that He plays favorites, when the reality is that He is ready, willing, and more than able to respond to those that are willing to respond to Him; doing the walk as well as the talk.  

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (KJV)  

Think of it this way, as long as you cover your ears and are not willing to listen, neither will God listen to you. God has a path of life for you to walk on, which He ordained for you before the foundation of the world, and will only fellowship with those that are willing to walk with Him on this path. He will not alter and change His plan for anyone; especially the creation that thinks it knows better than the Creator.  

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (KJV)  

What if you were out at sea in a boat and fell overboard, and someone threw you a life preserver, but you chose to ignore it because it wasn’t a color you liked. People get that way with God; the way of escape is always available, the opportunity for salvation is always there, but they don’t like the answer they received, or are not willing to do what is necessary to keep them from drowning in destruction and perdition. If you don’t like God’s plan of salvation, I can assure you there is not another ship coming along to bring you anything better. The fact is that most of the ships that set sail these days in the name of the Lord, have large gaping holes in their doctrines, and are headed for shipwreck.  

Isaiah 1:15-16 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. (16) Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; (KJV)  

Have you ever seen a child that doesn’t want to hear a parent’s instructions? They plug their ears, close their eyes, or make noises to drown out the voice of the parent. From the parent’s point of view, how do you handle the situation when the child demands something from you, having been just ignored? Be not deceived, God is not mocked, what you sow is what you reap, and you will not get a response from Father until you are willing to respond to Him, only this time try it with some humility.  

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (KJV)  

Wouldn’t you rather know that He hears your prayer, and not just guess or hope maybe you caught the Lord in a good mood this time? God is not moody like man, nor does He play favorites with anyone, but is longsuffering toward all of us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance so that He can work effectively in each and every one of us. So remember Church, if you turn a deaf ear to Him, don’t expect to be treated any differently in return.  

God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord.