Are Your Fingers in Your Ears?

Prayer – Lord, I’m sorry for not listening to You—or for not digging into Your word and really taking the time and effort to understand it and apply it to my life. There are widows, orphans, and poor out there whom I could be serving for You…and I just haven’t done it. Shame on me. Help me get my fingers out of my ears and to reach out to those in need. 

The LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me this message in reply: "Say to all your people and your priests, 'During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? And even now in your holy festivals, aren't you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? Isn't this the same message the LORD proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?'" Then this message came to Zechariah from the LORD: "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them. Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert."  Zechariah 7:4-14

 

Meditate. Consider God’s message in scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

 

When was the last time you actually put your fingers in your ears? It was probably because it was just too noisy—like when my husband sneezes—not because you were blocking out something you didn’t want to hear…or was it? Do you intentionally refuse to listen to what someone is saying? I know that I sometimes do that—I just concentrate on what I’m doing and ignore everyone what everyone around me is doing or saying. Sort of selfish of me. Its hard to admit that I’ve been selfish—just self-centered isolating myself from others…and even from God. Do you ever feel that way?

 

Zechariah had a powerful message to take to Jews, but it was the same message as always…always and forever. Repent. God wants His people holy and respectful of Him. They were failing at that, as usual. In verses twelve and thirteen he says that they hardened their hearts against the Lord, so the Lord didn’t listen to them either.

They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the LORD of Heaven's Armies was so angry with them. Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

Could that happen to us if we don’t listen to the Lord? We have the grace of God for the forgiveness of our sins…but we still have to repent. We are loved, but so where the Jews of Zechariah’s day.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life." Titus 3:3-7

Monroe Street Bridge
Build a strong bridge like this with God. 

What a gracious God we have! Forgiving and loving. If you haven’t started a relationship with Him…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…then reach out to Him today. Just as Jesus called…Repent of your sins and turn to God (Matthew 4:17) we have that opportunity now. Build a bridge within your heart to the Lord. We can choose to listen and obey…or be like those Israelites to whom Zechariah prophesied as they harden their hearts. What will you choose to do? Listen or put your fingers in your ears?

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Cry out, "Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you." 1 Chronicles 16:35

 

© 2023 Text by Mickey M. Hunacek.  Photo by Mary Kemp. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

 

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories