Tip of My Iceberg

We all have selective hearing.

It begins when we’re children, listening to our parents or any authority figure telling us to do or stop doing something that doesn’t mesh with what we want. It doesn’t matter the decibel level or tone of voice used–if a child doesn’t want to listen, they won’t. We had a pediatrician when our kids were young that explained calmly that the will of a two-year-old is stronger than anyone can imagine.

I grew up in a home where immediate obedience was expected. If that didn’t happen, the increased volume of either parental voice was not a welcomed sound. Listening meant obeying.

Raising children has its share of selective hearing on both sides, children and parents. If a child perseveres in asking for something that you know you’ll never give in to, tuning the drone of their voice out is an option. When a parent raises their voice to get a point across, it’s often not viewed as a valued response by the child–yelling has never been an acceptable way of getting my child to do something if they wouldn’t do it when asking them nicely.

When I promise a child something, you can be sure they’ll remember and respond to that. I’ve often thought children have the memory of an elephant, if indeed pachyderms are that efficient at recalling things. When I’ve made a promise, it better be something I’m willing to follow through on; going back on my word to a child can cause a rupture in trust and safety.

Not listening to those who love us is nothing new. When Moses was leading the Jews out of Egypt to the place God had promised them, the people were hesitant to listen to the promises of God, even though He’d just brought them out of 430 years of bondage. God had promised their ancestor, Abraham, that He would give them a land He’d prepared for them.

“The Lord had said to Abram (Abraham), ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.’” Genesis 12:1.

Moses lived over a thousand years after Abraham. God’s people were still waiting to get to this promised land. God made it clear that He was giving this land to His people.

“The Lord now said to Moses, ‘Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I AM GIVING TO THE ISRAELITES. Send one leader from each of the twelve tribes.” Numbers 13:1.

They explored the land for forty days, and when they came back, they told Moses the land was fertile, beautiful, a land flowing with milk and honey–very productive. But the people there were huge, taller than people they’d encountered before. They became afraid and said they couldn’t capture the land. “So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: ‘The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.’” Numbers 13:32.

What is fascinating is that this was the 85th time God had told them He was giving them this specific land. His place for them.

They didn’t listen.

The result was disastrous. The spies who doubted died immediately of a plague. Those twenty years old and older died during the next forty years of wandering because of their unbelief, because they wouldn’t listen.

God ultimately led His people into the land He’d promised forty years later, and all those who had doubted died on the way.

God has promised us forgiveness and salvation through His Son, Jesus. A promise He holds to because He cannot lie. He calls to each of us, offering us abundant love and grace. We can respond, or we can be like children who won’t pay attention.

The question is, will you listen to Him?