Selective Hearing Not Allowed
Adapted from Hearing from God Each Morning
…Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.
When we are unwilling to hear God’s voice in one area of our lives, we are often unable to hear His voice in other areas. Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear, and this is called “selective hearing.” When this happens, people eventually believe they can’t hear from God anymore, but this is not true. The fact is that He has already spoken to them, and they have failed to respond. Let me share a story to illustrate.
A woman once told me that she asked God to give her direction concerning what He wanted her to do: He wanted her to forgive her sister for an offense that had taken place months earlier. The woman was not willing to forgive, so she soon stopped praying. When she did seek the Lord again for something, all she heard in her heart was, “Forgive your sister first.”
Over a two-year period, every time she asked for God’s guidance in a new situation, He gently reminded her to forgive her sister. Finally, she realized she would never get out of her rut or grow spiritually if she did not obey, so she prayed, “Lord, give me the power to forgive my sister.” Instantly she understood many things from her sister’s perspective—things she hadn’t considered before. Within a short time, her relationship with her sister was completely restored and quickly became stronger than ever.
If we really want to hear from God, we have to be open to hear whatever He wants to say and willing to respond to it. I encourage you to hear and obey today.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, open my ears to hear Your voice clearly in all aspects of my life. I ask You, Father, to help me overcome selective hearing and respond obediently to Your promptings, amen.
