“Ear Health” and Professional Ear Care,” says the advertisement and I am reminded of deafness.

There is physical deafness and there is spiritual deafness and we are reading about physical and spiritual deafness in the Bible, the Word of God.

PHYSICAL DEAFNESS

In his Gospel Mark tells us about the healing of a man who was not only deaf, but also mute. Please read his story in Mark 7:31-37.

A sophisticated hearing aid

SPIRITUAL DEAFNESS

But I am more interested in spiritual deafness. If you ask me: “Why? this is my answer: “Because I have been spiritually deaf once myself.” In Matthew 13:13 the Lord Jesus Christ says,

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is quoting from Isaiah 6:9+10 and says in people like that is the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled.

I remember when I heard the Word of God and did not hear it, did not understand it.

At that time the Bible was for me like any other book.

But the time came when the Lord Jesus Christ opened my ears and the Word of God became alive for me.

Read what Isaiah says in Isaiah 50:5 “The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears …”

There are hearing aids – and I have seen them being used – for people who are physically deaf, but only the Lord can open the ears of people who are spiritually deaf.

“A thankful heart …”

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.” – Cicero

“Time to check you pasture,” is the article in the paper called (Northern News, April 8, 2015), and I find what I am reading is really speaking to me. It is a message for me.

Lifestyle Block owners are told that autumn – and it is autumn now in New Zealand  (Aotearoa) – is the time to get their pasture ready for winter and 8 autumn tips are given.

“THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD …”

A picture is also included in the article, sheep grazing in the foreground and in the background you can see a tall hedge, behind the hedge tall trees and big mountains.

The sheep remind me that David says in Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, …”

Where are my pastures?

I know where I am feeding. You know where you are feeding.

It is my habit to read the Bible from cover to cover and I read at least one chapter every morning when I am at home. It is also my habit to read devotional classics. At the moment I am reading MORNING AND EVENING, daily readings by C. H. Spurgeon. The book I am reading is called GOD’S WAY OF RECONCILIATION by D. M. Lloyd-Jones. In the book I find studies in Ephesians two.

Do you think it is time to check your pasture?

Lifestyle Block owners and farmers are told that autumn is the time to check their pastures, but for me the message is to check my pasture all the time.