Do you have ears to hear?

Ezekiel's commission to ministry was not exactly a joyous occasion. He was told to go and speak to a people who were stubborn and rebellious. He was told to fear not, but to be faithful to go to this people and declare, "Thus says the Lord..." Whether they listened or not, and the implication was that they would not listen, he was to do his part in bringing the Word of the Lord to them. They would be responsible for receiving or rejecting it, and there would be consequences for their response. Eventual they were exiled for their neglect of God's Word.

Saul, as well, had the word of the Lord available to him through the prophet, Samuel. He had been told things by Samuel which he disregarded to his own peril. Twice it is recorded that Samuel had told him the specific Word of the Lord, and both times Saul ignored this counsel and went his own way. Doing this resulted in Saul losing the kingship and living his life enslaved to inordinate passions. There was a great cost associated with the neglect of God's Word.

The foil to these examples of rebellion in Israel was David. In 1 Samuel 23 we see him several times inquiring of the Lord. We see him actually seeking the Lord. Once, because of the fears of his men, he went back to the Lord to make sure he had heard correctly, but once affirmed he not only heard the Word, he acted on it. And what was the result of his attention and obedience to the Lord? He way was prospered and made safe. Though he went up against the strong army of the Philistines he was victorious. Though the men of Keilah would have given him up the Lord helped him to know that he should depart. Though Saul got close to capturing him, at just the right moment the Lord brought the Philistines to take Saul from the chase and provide a deliverance for David.

David was attentive to the Word of the Lord. He had ears to hear. He even pursued the Word of the Lord as his daily guide. The result was a life blessed by the presence and protection of the Lord.

The same will be for us. We have the Word of the Lord available for us through the Word of God - the Bible. We can neglect or ignore it, or we can pursue it and seek to order our lives by it. There are consequences for both paths. We ignore the Word to our own hurt. We end up walking in our own paths, away from the Lord. The result is never satisfying. Or we can pursue the Word, and seek by His strength to obey it. That path leads to a partnership with the Lord, that may not make life difficulty free (David's life has great trial) but it assures us that the Lord is with us and will take us safely through life's challenges.

Let's all make today a day that we seek the Word of the Lord, that we don't walk this life on our own, but walk in tandem with our gracious Lord. His Spirit is given to us to help us do just that!