ARE YOU TUNED IN?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:9-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Tuned out.

If there were any two words that could most describe the spiritual state of the people of Israel, it was these two.

What was at the root of God’s anger and judgment against His people? Wasn’t it their decision to turn their back on Him to worship other idols and gods?

The answer was a resounding “Yes”! The people of Israel tuned out the God who told them there would be not other gods before Him, the God who had always been with them in good times and bad, the God who had delivered them time after time after time, the God who had done nothing but shown His people grace and mercy and forgiveness over and over and over again.

And yet, the people tuned Him out and so it’s little wonder that God would speak the following words to the Isaiah right after He commissioned the prophet to His service:

He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

How do we know the people of Israel had tuned out God?

1. Because although they heard, they didn’t understand. They didn’t seek the Lord for discernment because they were too busy chasing after gods who would give them no return on their worship investment.

2. Because when they saw, they didn’t perceive. To have spiritual perception, you have to be willing to look at things through the lens of God. The people, in their worship of false gods, had no vision, blinded with closed eyes through their lack of faith in the one and only God, the Lord God Almighty.

3. Because their hearts were calloused. A heart not in and of the Lord is a heart that is hardened, a heart that void and spiritless, dry and lifeless. This heart is one grounded in sin and void of spiritual insight and perception.

4. Because their ears were dull and deaf. The people of Israel had closed their ears to the still small voice of God, a voice who had always spoken to them in special ways, guiding and correcting when needed. It’s why they were in the state they were in. For had they listened to God, they would be pursuing and living in righteousness, not standing on the doorstep of judgment.

Yes, the Israelites had tuned out God and paid a heavy price for it. The sad part of this is so many people today have followed suit and tuned out God themselves, exhibiting many of the same symptoms of their ancient brothers and sisters.

Ears are closed to spiritual guidance. Eyes are spiritually blind. Hearts are faithless, hardened and calloused.

Friends, it’s time to tune back into the Lord God Almighty, to get ourselves on His spiritual frequency and then stay there.

For when you are tuned in, you will clearly see the Lord at work in and around you.

When you are tuned in, you hear the Lord speaking clearly to you.

When you are tuned in, you understand when you read His word and when you pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate that word and bring you discernment.

And when you are tuned in, you have such a close relationship with the Lord that you know you can trust Him for any and all things, knowing He is there to care for you and bring healing and help  when you need it.

In other words, when we are most tuned into Him, He is most tuned into us. And that’s a place that we should always want to be.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com