SEE THE WORD AS YOU HEAR
It is written, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20-22). In regard to the scriptural verses above, it is thoughtful to say that the word of God that one hears with ears and not able to see with eyes will not stay in one’s heart. Information that does not stay in the heart does not bring transformation. Word that gains position in the heart becomes an agent of manifestation. The word of God is meant to be retained in the heart because out of the heart comes forth the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). The Bible makes us realize that the words of God are life and not just letters. John 6:63 declared, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6, “…For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
How much does it require of you to begin to receive the word of God as life and not just letters? It is how you receive the word of God that will determine how it answers for you in this wicked world. If the word is received as life, just like you receive a direction to navigate your way to a destination, life will be straight forward at every juncture and void of getting lost. Citing an example of how you receive the word with your ear and see it with your eyes: If to get to point “A”, direction is being laid down for you by the one directing you, and you are also able to hear with your ears when and where to turn. Having heard with your ear, you begin to see in the midst of your heart where and when to turn. Your response to the one giving you direction will be “oh yes I see, I see”. When you begin to see before getting to the location of direction, then it means that the word of direction has entered your ears. Your eyes have seen it (before getting to the location directed) and it is already programmed in the midst of your heart.
What is making it difficult for man to receive the word of God as direction to engage the journey of life? A film director or producer that presented the movie, Passion of Christ was not alive when Jesus went to Calvary. However, he was able to receive the word with his ears and it became a picture which could be seen as if he was there. The picture that he produced was fitting and almost true to life because he must have seen the word which he heard. When word is communicated through reading or preaching, heart must receive and retain it to become see-able.
After the separation of Abraham from Lot, God told Abraham to see. Abraham must have seen it for it to become real for Him. “For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” (Genesis 13:15) The word that you receive and are able to see as being there will determine what you become. Job was repeatedly described by God as blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1) He heard from God number of times but the striking difference was not made in his life until he was able to see the word spoken to him. He testified in Job 42:5-6, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” There is a need for the grace of having the eyes of the heart to open. When the eye of the heart is opened, word will begin to give a clear direction to navigate or engage the challenges of this world by the power encased in the word of God. Give attention to the word you receive, let your heart retain it and you will keep His command and have life abundantly.
FAITH CAPSULEThere is a need for the grace of having the eyes of the heart to open.