The Ear of God

As I read this morning, especially in Luke 18 I was struck with who had the ear of God. First was the tax collector. All he did is cry out, "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." Of course, the religious ruler standing next to him thought his prayers were more likely to reach the ear of God because of His good deeds and his avoidance of sins of which this tax collector obviously wallowed in. But at the end of the story Jesus makes it very clear whose prayers entered the ear of God.
Next, we see that children had the ear of God. While others were pushing the children away, suggesting that they were not worthy of God's attention, Jesus was gathering them to Himself. He said, "Let the children come to Me and hinder them not, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.
Then there was the blind beggar. He, too, was crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." Again there were those who were trying to hush him up. Does Jesus really want to listen to the cry of a blind beggar? The surprising answer to many that day was "yes" that is exactly who has the ear of God.
When you look at these three stories and contrast them with the story of the rich young ruler, you begin to see that those who are weak, or needy, or lacking, or sinful or thought unworthy by the world are those who have the ear of God. Those who recognize they have need to be filled, not those who think they are filled either with their riches or their righteousness, are the ones to whom Christ gives His attention.
Since this is so - since God has His ear open toward those who are needy, why is it that when trouble comes and we are in need, we don't first lift our voice to God? Why is it that we, like Israel in the wilderness, begin to murmur and complain? We complain to our colleague at work? We share our dissatisfaction with our spouse. We talk to everybody but the One who can really do something about our situation, who may in fact be orchestrating the events in our life, to make us more aware of our need to be filled - our need to look to Christ to find in Him alone the fullness our souls desire.
What's your MO? In difficult times are your first words sent up to the One with whom "nothing is impossible" (Luke 18:27)? Or do you resort, like Israel, to murmuring and complaining? Remember this day that the Lord's ear is turned toward the needy who call to Him in faith. Try this on for size. You will find life so much sweeter and you will be bringing more glory to your Savior.