March 5:  Hearing the Word but Not Absorbing It

Another major hurdle to answered prayer is hearing the Word without absorbing it into one’s life. When we don’t absorb the word, Satan steals it away. In the parable of the sower, Jesus says “When any one hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19). In this parable, seed represents the Word of God, while different types of soil represent human attitudes.

When the seed is sown along the path-when the Word is not central to a person’s life-the enemy steals it. The enemy attacks the Word because it is the source of our spiritual life. Even as you read the Bible, your adversary tries to rob you of God’s truth. If you don’t consciously apply God’s Word to your life, the enemy will try to make you forget what you’ve just read. Jesus often ended His lessons by saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (See Matthew 13:9). There is physical hearing and there is spiritual hearing. Jesus knew the people heard His Words, but He told them, in essence, “My Words need to be established in your hearts.”

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets how he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does (James 1:23-25). Note: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Please pray God to open your ears (spiritual) to hear His Word, abide by the Word and work with it for your salvation.

Let’s pray: Father, please give me ears to hear You in your Word and in those you called to teach Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 1-3; Luke 8:26-56

Hear the Word and Live by It.