With Ears of Faith
How do you hear what you hear ?
I thought I was all that, I thought I had it all under control. Hahaha how wrong I was. You know, God has a way of lovingly showing you where you actually are.
I recently got off a call with family and I was fuming with anger - which to me was justified. I thought they ganged up on me, I felt like screaming and saying:
Who do you think you are, I need none of you guys, I’m out. Slamming the door shut and leaving.
I thought I was correct to feel this way. How wrong I was!!
God used David's Example to teach me something.
In the book of 1 Samuel 30 we read the story of David coming back from war to his town of Ziklag with his warriors, only to realize that their town has been ransacked and their wives, families and stuffs captured. As if that was not enough, His own men - out of frustration, turned on him, ready to stone him.
Now to be clear, what I went through is different. I was on the wrong but God still used this to show me what David did when all backs were turned on Him.
Let’s read the 6th verse
'And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. '
1 Samuel 30:6
Right there and then, David had an opportunity to be depressed and get down on himself and complain saying ‘why me’ (like I did). He had and opportunity to gripe and complain. Humanly speaking, He had every right to throw his hands up and in the air and give up. I mean you are just back from a tough war with all the bloodshed and all - only to come and realize your town is in mayhem, your family is captured, your army's family is destroyed, and even your men turn their back on you.
David had that opportunity to fail- but He refused to pick it up. He refused to allow His flesh rule. David choose to react using His faith.
David refused to give in and be led by his emotions.
Looking at this, I believe David had trained himself to listen to things through ears of faith. Such a skill does not just happen. I mean think about it. That is why He didn't hear what Goliath said the same way others did. He heard Goliath’s words it as a challenge to the Covenant Israel had with God. The others did not see it that way. That is the reason why they ran away in fear when they heard Goliath’s challenge. David heard the same thing and reacted differently - He actually asked around about - who is this that defies the covenant we have with the Lord of Host (Lord of the armies of Israel).
This makes me think that there are 2 ways of hearing.
Hearing through the filter of the Word (Faith)
Hearing through the filter of the flesh
Most people (myself included) hear through the filter of the flesh. That is the reason why I reacted the way that I did. I let emotions lead my thoughts and decisions, which is the exact thing the enemy planned that I would do. David on the other hand did not do that, which is exactly what God expected from Him and from me.
Listening through the filter of the Word of God (with ears of faith), is the reason why David could be calm, collected and composed enough to - Encourage himself in the LORD his God, in the middle of all hell breaking loose.
God really does use our day to day to teach us - if only we have ears to hear. I had no idea God would use my fit of anger to reveal this nugget to me.
How have you been hearing what you listen to everyday ?